document.write( "Question 1014773: A ladder is leaning against a building. The distance from the bottom of the ladder to the building is 8 ft less than the length of the ladder. How high up the building is the top of the ladder if that distance is 1 ft less than the length of the ladder. \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #631079 by stanbon(75887)\"\" \"About 
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A ladder is leaning against a building. The distance from the bottom of the ladder to the building is 8 ft less than the length of the ladder. How high up the building is the top of the ladder if that distance is 1 ft less than the length of the ladder.
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\n" ); document.write( "Sketch the picture.
\n" ); document.write( "You have a right triangle
\n" ); document.write( "base = x-8
\n" ); document.write( "hypotenuse ladder = x
\n" ); document.write( "height = x-1
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\n" ); document.write( "Equation::
\n" ); document.write( "x^2 = (x-8)^2 + (x-1)^2
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\n" ); document.write( "x^2 = x^2 - 16x + 64 + x^2 - 2x + 1
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\n" ); document.write( "x^2 = 2x^2 - 18x +65
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\n" ); document.write( "x^2 -18x+65 = 0
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\n" ); document.write( "x = 13 or x = 5
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\n" ); document.write( "Acceptable answer: x = 13
\n" ); document.write( "Ans: height = x-1 = 12
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\n" ); document.write( "Cheers,
\n" ); document.write( "Stan H. \n" ); document.write( "
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