Use the pythagorean theorem.
The foot of the ladder is 4 feet away from the building (leg 1)
The height of the building is leg 2
The ladder, which would be at an angle, is 12 feet. So our hypotenuse would be 12. The equation for this would be a²+4²=12²
We can then begin to solve
a² + 16 = 144
a² = 128
a=11.31
So, our answer is: The top of the ladder reaches the building at 11.31 feet up
2/a= a/50
Cross multiply:
a* a= 2*50
⇒ a^2= 100
⇒ a= √100 or a= -√100
⇒ a= 10 or a= -10
Final answer: a= 10 or a= -10~
