document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=211905>Question 211905</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Need help with this word problem. A painter leans a 10 foot ladder against a house, the distance from the base of the ladder to the house is 4 feet less than the distance from the top f the ladder to the ground. How far up the house is the top of the ladder? Find the EXACT answer and the APPROXIMATE answer to the nearest hundredth.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "I tried using the Pythagorean Theoriam, but I don't seem to be setting the problem up correctly. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #160086 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Fombitz><B>Fombitz(32388)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Fombitz><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=Fombitz><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=160086\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> H=10<BR>\n" );
document.write( "A=distance from ground to top of ladder<BR>\n" );
document.write( "B=distance from corner to bottom of ladder<BR>\n" );
document.write( "A^2+B^2=H^2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "B=A-4<BR>\n" );
document.write( "A^2+(A-4)^2=10^2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "A^2+(A^2-8A+16)=100<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2A^2-8A+16=100<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2A^2-8A-84=0<BR>\n" );
document.write( "A^2-4A-42=0<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Use the quadratic formula<BR>\n" );
document.write( "A=(4+/-sqrt(4^2-4(1)(-42))/2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "A=(4+/-sqrt(184))/2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "A=(4+2*sqrt(46))/2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "A=2+sqrt(46)=8.78<BR>\n" );
document.write( "B=-2+sqrt(46)=4.78 </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );