SOLUTION: an airport has a sloping ramp from the terminal down to the door of the airplane. the door of the airplane is 43 ft away from terminal( where the ramp starts) and is 4 ft below the

Algebra ->  Human-and-algebraic-language -> SOLUTION: an airport has a sloping ramp from the terminal down to the door of the airplane. the door of the airplane is 43 ft away from terminal( where the ramp starts) and is 4 ft below the      Log On


   

Question 316999: an airport has a sloping ramp from the terminal down to the door of the airplane. the door of the airplane is 43 ft away from terminal( where the ramp starts) and is 4 ft below the terminal side of the ramp. how long is the ramp?
Found 2 solutions by mananth, jim_thompson5910:
Answer by mananth(16946) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
the horizontal distance from ramp to terminal = 43 ft ( leg1)
the vertical height = 4 ft (leg2)
length of ramp = ? (hyp)
..
they form a right triangle
hyp^2= 43^2+4^2
hyp^2= 1849+16
hyp^2=1865
hypotenuse = 43.18 feet

Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
We basically have this triangle set up:





To find the unknown length, we need to use the Pythagorean Theorem.


Remember, the Pythagorean Theorem is a%5E2%2Bb%5E2=c%5E2 where "a" and "b" are the legs of a triangle and "c" is the hypotenuse.


Since the legs are 4 and 43 this means that a=4 and b=43


Also, since the hypotenuse is x, this means that c=x.


a%5E2%2Bb%5E2=c%5E2 Start with the Pythagorean theorem.


4%5E2%2B43%5E2=x%5E2 Plug in a=4, b=43, c=x


16%2B43%5E2=x%5E2 Square 4 to get 16.


16%2B1849=x%5E2 Square 43 to get 1849.


1865=x%5E2 Combine like terms.


x%5E2=1865 Rearrange the equation.


x=sqrt%281865%29 Take the square root of both sides. Note: only the positive square root is considered (since a negative length doesn't make sense).


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Answer:


So the solution is x=sqrt%281865%29 which approximates to x=43.186.

So the ramp is about 43.186 ft long.