SOLUTION: The pitch of a roof is its slope. Find the pitch of the roof shown. 8 feet by 15 feet

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Question 80733: The pitch of a roof is its slope. Find the pitch of the roof shown.
8 feet by
15 feet

Answer by tutorcecilia(2144) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Use the Pythagorean Theorem to solve. This will be a right triangle:
%28a%5E2%2Bb%5E2%29=%28c%5E2%29
Let the slope = the hypotenuse = c
Let one side = a=8
Let the other side =b =15
Plug-in the values and solve for the c-term
Check you answer by plugging the value of "c" back into the orignial equation and solve.
.
%28a%5E2%2Bb%5E2%29=%28c%5E2%29
%288%5E2%2B15%5E2%29=%28c%5E2%29
%2864%2B225%29=%28c%5E2%29
%28289%29=%28c%5E2%29
%28sqrt%28289%29%29=%28sqrt%28c%5E2%29%29
17=c
.
Check by plugging %28sqrt%2817%29%29 into the original equation and solve.
%28a%5E2%2Bb%5E2%29=%28c%5E2%29
%28289%29=%2817%5E2%29
289=289 [checks out]