document.write( "Question 195046: I am having a problem solving this word problem. Any help would be appreciated!\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "A rope is stretched from the ground to the top of an antenna tower. The wire is 30ft long. The height of the tower is 6ft. greater than the distance from the base to the end of the rope. Find the distance from the wire to the tower.
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Algebra.Com's Answer #146311 by nerdybill(7384)\"\" \"About 
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A rope is stretched from the ground to the top of an antenna tower. The wire is 30ft long. The height of the tower is 6ft. greater than the distance from the base to the end of the rope. Find the distance from the wire to the tower.
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\n" ); document.write( "Draw a diagram of the problem. Doing so, you should recognize that the wire, tower and ground forms a right triangle. You will need to apply Pythagorean theorem.
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\n" ); document.write( "Let x = distance from wire to tower
\n" ); document.write( "then
\n" ); document.write( "x+6 = height of tower
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\n" ); document.write( "x^2 + (x+6)^2 = 30^2
\n" ); document.write( "x^2 + (x+6)(x+6) = 900
\n" ); document.write( "x^2 + x^2+12x+36 = 900
\n" ); document.write( "2x^2+12x+36 = 900
\n" ); document.write( "2x^2+12x-864 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "x^2+6x-432 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "Factoring the left:
\n" ); document.write( "(x+24)(x-18) = 0
\n" ); document.write( "x = {-24, 18}
\n" ); document.write( "We can toss out the negative solution leaving:
\n" ); document.write( "x = 18 feet
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