SOLUTION: Joseph leans a ladder that us 15 feet long against a building. The ladder is 12 feet away from the building. How far up does the ladder touch the side of the building?

Question 553671: Joseph leans a ladder that us 15 feet long against a building. The ladder is 12 feet away from the building. How far up does the ladder touch the side of the building?
Answer by mananth(16946) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The ladder ,ground and the wall form a right triangle
ground distance = leg1
height at which ladder touches
Hypotenuse = ladder length
Pythagoras theorem states that

Hypotenuse ^2= leg1^2+leg2^2

Hypotenuse = 15 ft
leg1 = 12 ft

leg2^2= hypotenuse ^2 - leg1^2

Leg2^2= 15^2-12 ^2
Leg2^2= 225 - 144
Leg2^2= 81
take the square root
leg2= 9 ft

height at which ladder touches =9 ft
m.ananth@hotmail.ca

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