Question

Two vertical posts stand side by side. One post is 8 feet tall while the other is 17 feet tall. If a 24 foot wire is stretched between the tops of the posts, how far apart are the posts?​

Answer 1

Answer:

22 1/4 feet

Step-by-step explanation:

you can sketch this problem to be a right triangle with a hypotenuse of 24 feet and one leg of 9 feet (17 - 8).

use Pythagorean Theorem to find the base side, which represents the distance between the posts

a² + 9² = 24²

a² + 81 = 576

a² = 576 - 81

a² = 495

a = $\sqrt{495}$

a = $\sqrt{9}$ · $\sqrt{55}$  =  3$\sqrt{55}$, which is approx 22.25

Answer 2

Answer:

about 22.25 feet

Step-by-step explanation:

You can think of it like a triangle, which you can see at the bottom

Then, use the pythagorean theorem, $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$.

you have a = 9 and c = 24, so

$9^2 + b^2 = 24^2\\81 + b^2 = 576\\b^2 = 495\\b = \sqrt{495} = 3\sqrt{55} = about 22.25$