document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=551263>Question 551263</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> A wire reaches from the top of a 13-meter telephone pole to a point on the ground 9 meters from the base of the pole. what is the length of the wire to the nearest tenth of a meter? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #359574 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><B>jim_thompson5910(35256)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><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=359574\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "We basically have this triangle set up:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=drawing%28500%2C500%2C-0.5%2C2%2C-0.5%2C3.2%2C%0D%0Aline%280%2C0%2C0%2C3%29%2C%0D%0Aline%280%2C3%2C2%2C0%29%2C%0D%0Aline%282%2C0%2C0%2C0%29%2C%0D%0Alocate%28-0.2%2C1.5%2C13%29%2C%0D%0Alocate%281%2C-0.2%2C9%29%2C%0D%0Alocate%281%2C2%2Cx%29%0D%0A%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "To find the unknown length, we need to use the Pythagorean Theorem.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Remember, the Pythagorean Theorem is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=a%5E2%2Bb%5E2=c%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"a%5E2%2Bb%5E2=c%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > where \"a\" and \"b\" are the legs of a triangle and \"c\" is the hypotenuse.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Since the legs are <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=13 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"13\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=9 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"9\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > this means that <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=a=13 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"a=13\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b=9 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b=9\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "   \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Also, since the hypotenuse is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, this means that <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=c=x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"c=x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=a%5E2%2Bb%5E2=c%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"a%5E2%2Bb%5E2=c%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Start with the Pythagorean theorem.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=13%5E2%2B9%5E2=x%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"13%5E2%2B9%5E2=x%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Plug in <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=a=13 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"a=13\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b=9 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b=9\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=c=x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"c=x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=169%2B9%5E2=x%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"169%2B9%5E2=x%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Square <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=13 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"13\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > to get <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=169 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"169\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=169%2B81=x%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"169%2B81=x%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Square <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=9 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"9\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > to get <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=81 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"81\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=250=x%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"250=x%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Combine like terms.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5E2=250 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5E2=250\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Rearrange the equation.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=sqrt%28250%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=sqrt%28250%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Take the square root of both sides. Note: only the positive square root is considered (since a negative length doesn't make sense).\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=5%2Asqrt%2810%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=5%2Asqrt%2810%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Simplify the square root.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Answer:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So the solution is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=5%2Asqrt%2810%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=5%2Asqrt%2810%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > which approximates to <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=15.811 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=15.811\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > (when using a calculator).\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "This means that the length of the wire is approximately 15.8 meters.<BR>\n" );
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