document.write( "Question 858462: How far from the base of the house do you need to place a 15-foot ladder so that it exactly reaches the top of a 12-foot tall wall? \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #517212 by ben720(159) $\"\"$ $\"About$

You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Because the wall and the ground are at a 90° angle to each other, those two are the legs, and the latter is the hypotenuse. To find the ground, first, we must use the pythagorean theorem:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"a%5E2%2Bb%5E2=c%5E2\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Next, plug in known values:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"a%5E2%2B12%5E2=15%5E2\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Square:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"a%5E2%2B144=225\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Subtract 144 from both sides:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"a%5E2=81\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Square Root both sides
\n" ); document.write( " $\"a=9\"$
\n" ); document.write( "The wall is 9 ft from the ground. \n" ); document.write( "

\n" );