SOLUTION: A ladder is leaning against a building so that the distance from the ground to the top of the ladder is 2 feet less than the length of the ladder. Find the length of the ladder if

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Question 1116417: A ladder is leaning against a building so that the distance from the ground to the top of the ladder is 2 feet less than the length of the ladder. Find the length of the ladder if the distance from the bottom of the ladder to the building is 6 feet.

Answer by Boreal(15235)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Ladder is x
It is x-2 feet up the building
the distance from the bottom to the ladder is 6 feet
Right triangle.
square the sides: 6^2+(x-2)^2=x^2
x^2=x^2-4x+4+36
4x=40
x=10 feet long ladder ANSWER
6 feet from building, 8 feet up
6-8-10 right triangle

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