Question

A 20-foot ladder leans up against the side of a building so that the foot of the ladder is 10 feet from the base of the building. How far up the
building does the ladder reach? Round your answer to the nearest tenth.
18.1
17.3
15.9
16.4

Answer 1

Answer:

17.3

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve this equation, you need to use the pythagorean theorem which is:

$a^{2} +b^{2}= c^{2}$

a= length

b= height

c= hypotenuse

First, substitute in your values for the equation:

$10^2+b^{2} =20^{2}$

Then, use the squares in the equation:

$100+b^{2} =400$

Then, subtract 100 from both sides to isolate b:

$b^{2} =300$

Finally, square root both sides to get your answer:

$b=17.3205080757$

Then round to the nearest tenth which gives you 17.3.