document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=124733>Question 124733</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> if a tent pole is 2m high and the rope is 2.4m, then hoe far from the base of the pole should the rope be pegged </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #91441 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=91441\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> This problem involves a right triangle.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Presumably the tent pole is to be vertical and that means that it will be perpendicular<BR>\n" );
document.write( "to the ground ... or at an angle of 90 degrees with the ground.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The rope is fastened to the top of the tent pole and then is stretched out and tied to a <BR>\n" );
document.write( "tent peg that is driven in the ground some distance from the base of the tent pole. <BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Therefore, the rope forms the long side or hypotenuse of the right triangle. The length of<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the tent pole is one of the legs of the triangle, and the distance you are looking for is the<BR>\n" );
document.write( "length of the other leg of the triangle. <BR>\n" );
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document.write( "You could solve this problem using trigonometry, or you could use the Pythagorean <BR>\n" );
document.write( "theorem. Since students normally learn the Pythagorean theorem first, let's use that method<BR>\n" );
document.write( "of solving the problem.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The Pythagorean theorem says that in a right triangle the sum of the squares of the lengths of<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the two legs is equal to the square of the hypotenuse. If the lengths of the two legs are <BR>\n" );
document.write( "A and B and the length of the hypotenuse is C, then in equation form the Pythagorean<BR>\n" );
document.write( "theorem tells you that:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "A^2 + B^2 = C^2<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "You know that the length of one of the legs (the tent pole) is 2 meters. Substitute this<BR>\n" );
document.write( "length for one of the legs in the equation (say for leg B) and you have:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "A^2 + 2^2 = C^2<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "And you know that the hypotenuse (the length of the rope) is 2.4 meters. Substitute this<BR>\n" );
document.write( "value for C and the equation then becomes:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "A^2 + 2^2 = (2.4)^2<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Square the two numbers and the equation then is:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "A^2 + 4 = 5.76<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Get rid of the 4 on the left side by subtracting 4 from both sides and you have:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "A^2 = 1.76<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Finally, solve for A by taking the square root of both sides to get:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "A = sqrt(1.76) = 1.326649916 meters<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Round this answer off to A = 1.33 meters<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "This tells you that the tent peg should be located at a distance of 1.33 meters from the base <BR>\n" );
document.write( "of the tent pole. <BR>\n" );
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document.write( "This, of course, does not take into account the amount of rope that is used in tying the<BR>\n" );
document.write( "rope to the peg and to the top of the pole.  It is based on the assumption that the 2.4 meter<BR>\n" );
document.write( "length of the rope is just the length between the peg and the pole.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Hope this helps you to understand how the problem can be set up and solved.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
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