Sally's cat is stuck in a tree 18 ft off the ground. The base of a ladder is placed 6 feet away from the base of the tree. What
is the minimum length ladder needed to reach the cat (rounded to the nearest foot)?
2 answers:
Answer: 19 ft
Step-by-step explanation:
Hi, we have to apply the Pythagorean Theorem, since the tree and the ladder form a right triangle. (see attachment)
Hypotenuse squared = side squared + side squared.
Hypotenuse of a right triangle is the longest side.
Replacing with the values given:
x^2 = 18^2 + 6 ^2
Where x is the length of the ladder.( because is the longest side)
Solving for x:
√(18^2 + 6 ^2)= x
19 ft
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