document.write( "Question 251544: An outdoor rope course consists of a cable that slopes downward from a height of 37ft to a resting place 30ft aboe the ground. The trees that the cable connects are 24ft apart. How long is the cable? Is the formula a^2+b^2=c^2?? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #183228 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
After drawing the picture, we basically have this triangle set up:\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "To find the unknown length, we need to use the Pythagorean Theorem.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Remember, the Pythagorean Theorem is \"a%5E2%2Bb%5E2=c%5E2\" where \"a\" and \"b\" are the legs of a triangle and \"c\" is the hypotenuse.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Since the legs are \"7\" and \"24\" this means that \"a=7\" and \"b=24\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Also, since the hypotenuse is \"x\", this means that \"c=x\".\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a%5E2%2Bb%5E2=c%5E2\" Start with the Pythagorean theorem.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"7%5E2%2B24%5E2=x%5E2\" Plug in \"a=7\", \"b=24\", \"c=x\" \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"49%2B24%5E2=x%5E2\" Square \"7\" to get \"49\".\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"49%2B576=x%5E2\" Square \"24\" to get \"576\".\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"625=x%5E2\" Combine like terms.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2=625\" Rearrange the equation.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=sqrt%28625%29\" Take the square root of both sides. Note: only the positive square root is considered (since a negative length doesn't make sense).\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=25\" Simplify the square root.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "================================================================\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Answer:\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the solution is \"x=25\" which means that the cable is 25 ft long.
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );