Question

Paula leaned a 10 ft ladder against a building as shown below. if Paula wants the top of the ladder to reac

Answer 1

The distance between the building and the base of the ladder is 5√3 feet.

Step-by-step explanation:

Consider a right angle triangle,

• Hypotenuse = Paula leaned a 10 ft ladder against a building.
• Height = the top of the ladder is exactly 5 feet up in the building.
• Base = 'x' ft, distance between the building and the base of the ladder.

From the Pythagorean theorem,

Base, x = $\sqrt{hypotenuse^{2}-height^{2} }$

⇒ x = $\sqrt{10^{2} -5^{2} }$

⇒ x = $\sqrt{100-25}$

⇒ x = $\sqrt{75}$

⇒ x = 5√3

The distance between the building and the base of the ladder is 5√3 feet.