document.write( "Question 715515: If the bottom of a 17 foot ladder is 8 feet from the base of a chimney, how far is it from the bottom of the chimney to the top of the ladder? \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #439521 by jsmallt9(3758) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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It might help you understand if you draw a diagram. Make the chimney a vertical line segment. The ground will be a horizontal line. The ladder will be a slanted line segment from the chimney to the ground. The diagram should be a right triangle.

\n" ); document.write( "The base of the chimney is where the chimney (vertical) meets the ground (horizontal). From here to where the ladder touches the ground is 8 feet. The ladder (which is the hypotenuse for this triangle) is 17 feet.

\n" ); document.write( "We can use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the distance from the bottom/base of the chimney to where the ladder touches the chimney:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"x%5E2%2B8%5E2=17%5E2\"$
\n" ); document.write( "No we solve. Squaring the 8 and the 17:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"x%5E2%2B64=289\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Subtracting 64:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"x%5E2=225\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Square root (ignoring the negative square root because we do not want a negative height):
\n" ); document.write( " $\"x+=+15\"$
\n" ); document.write( "So the distance from the bottom/base of the chimney to where the ladder touches the chimney is 15 feet. \n" ); document.write( "

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