SOLUTION: A 12 foot rope attached to the top of the mast of a sailboat is fastened to a point on the deck 4 feet from the base of the mast. What is the height of the mast?

Question 456214: A 12 foot rope attached to the top of the mast of a sailboat is fastened to a point on the deck 4 feet from the base of the mast. What is the height of the mast?
Answer by nerdybill(7384) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A 12 foot rope attached to the top of the mast of a sailboat is fastened to a point on the deck 4 feet from the base of the mast. What is the height of the mast?
notice it forms a "right-triangle"
apply Pythagorean theorem
rope is the hypotenuse
.
Let m = length of mast
then
m^2 + 4^2 = 12^2
m^2 + 16 = 144
m^2 = 128
m = 11.3 feet
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