document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=31464>Question 31464</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Hello, I am not quite sure how to approach this problem:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "when the lower end of a ladder that had been resting flat against a wall was pulled out 4 feet, the top of the ladder descended one-fifth the length of the ladder. find the length of the ladder.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Thanks so much, really appreciate it. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #18131 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=blubunny01><B>blubunny01(20)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-06.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=blubunny01><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/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=18131\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> If you picture a ladder leaning against the wall, you can see that it forms a right triangle such that the ladder is the hypotenuse.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Let x = the length of the ladder (in ft).\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "We know that one side of the triangle is 4ft, and the other side of the triangle is 1/5 the length of the ladder, which is (1/5)x.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So, if we plug this knowledge into the pythagorean theorem, we have:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "a = 4ft<BR>\n" );
document.write( "b = x/5<BR>\n" );
document.write( "c = x\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So, the length of the ladder is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=5sqrt%282%2F3%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"5sqrt%282%2F3%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > ft, or approx 5.816 ft. </SPAN>\n" );
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