document.write( "Question 316999: an airport has a sloping ramp from the terminal down to the door of the airplane. the door of the airplane is 43 ft away from terminal( where the ramp starts) and is 4 ft below the terminal side of the ramp. how long is the ramp? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #226937 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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 \"4\" and \"43\" this means that \"a=4\" and \"b=43\"\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( "\"4%5E2%2B43%5E2=x%5E2\" Plug in \"a=4\", \"b=43\", \"c=x\" \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"16%2B43%5E2=x%5E2\" Square \"4\" to get \"16\".\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"16%2B1849=x%5E2\" Square \"43\" to get \"1849\".\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"1865=x%5E2\" Combine like terms.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2=1865\" Rearrange the equation.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=sqrt%281865%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( "================================================================\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=sqrt%281865%29\" which approximates to \"x=43.186\".\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the ramp is about 43.186 ft long.
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );