document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=113221>Question 113221</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> a ladder that is 13 feet long is a 5 feet from the base of a wall.  How far up the wall does the ladder reach? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #82399 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><B>bucky(2189)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><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=82399\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> This is a right triangle problem.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "When you lean a ladder up a wall, a right triangle is formed. The 90-degree angle of this<BR>\n" );
document.write( "right triangle is at the base of the wall and the sides of this angle are the vertical<BR>\n" );
document.write( "wall and the horizontal ground.  Since the hypotenuse of a right triangle is the longest side<BR>\n" );
document.write( "and is the side opposite to the 90-degree angle, the leaning ladder is the hypotenuse<BR>\n" );
document.write( "of the triangle.  One leg of the right triangle is the distance along the ground between the <BR>\n" );
document.write( "bottom of the ladder and the base of the wall. The other leg of the triangle is the distance<BR>\n" );
document.write( "up the wall from the base of the wall to the point where the ladder is leaning on the wall.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The Pythagorean theorem applies to right triangles. This theorem states that the square of the<BR>\n" );
document.write( "hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the two legs.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Call H the hypotenuse, A one of the legs, and B the other leg of the triangle. So in equation<BR>\n" );
document.write( "form the Pythagorean equation is:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=H%5E2+=+A%5E2+%2B++B%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"H%5E2+=+A%5E2+%2B++B%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "For this problem you are told that the ladder (the hypotenuse) is 13 feet long and one of<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the legs (the distance from the bottom of the ladder to the wall) is 5 feet. Substituting<BR>\n" );
document.write( "these values into the equation results in it becoming:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=13%5E2+=+5%5E2+%2B+B%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"13%5E2+=+5%5E2+%2B+B%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Square out the numbers and you have:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=169+=+25+%2B+B%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"169+=+25+%2B+B%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Subtract 25 from both sides to get rid of the 25 on the right side and the equation<BR>\n" );
document.write( "reduces to:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=144+=+B%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"144+=+B%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > <BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Solve for B by taking the square root of both sides of this equation and you have:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=12+=+B ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"12+=+B\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "B is the other leg of the triangle, so it is the distance up the wall from the ground to the<BR>\n" );
document.write( "point where the ladder is resting on the wall. That distance is 12 feet.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Hope this helps you to understand the problem a little better and provides you with an<BR>\n" );
document.write( "understandable method that you can use to solve it.<BR>\n" );
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