SOLUTION: During the summer heat, a 10-mi bridge expands 10ft in length. Assuming the bulge occurs straight up the middle, how high is the bulge? (exact height of the bulge using radicals as

Question 239909: During the summer heat, a 10-mi bridge expands 10ft in length. Assuming the bulge occurs straight up the middle, how high is the bulge? (exact height of the bulge using radicals as needed. Do not simplify the radical and the height of the bulge, type an integer or a decimal. Round to the nearest thousandth)
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
During the summer heat, a 10-mi bridge expands 10ft in length.
Assuming the bulge occurs straight up the middle, how high is the bulge?
(exact height of the bulge using radicals as needed.
Do not simplify the radical and the height of the bulge, type an integer or a decimal. Round to the nearest.
:
Looking this over I came up with a right triangle formed by:
half the horizontal (5 mi), as one leg (a)
height of the bulge above the horizontal, as the other leg (b)
half the expanded bridge as the hypotenuse. 5mi + 5ft (c)
:
Convert 5ft to miles and add to 5 mi:
5/5280 = 5.00094697 mi is the hypotenuse
:
a^2 + b^2 = c^2
:
5^2 + b^2 = 5.00094697^2
:
25 + b^2 = 25.00947059
:
b^2 = 25.00947059 - 25
:
b^2 = 0.00947059
b =
b = .097317 mi is the height of the bulge
Convert to ft
.097317 * 5280 = 513.8 ft, sounds awful high to me but can't see a flaw in this.
:
Let me know if I am wrong about this one, please. ankor@att.net

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