SOLUTION: a 17-foot ladder is placed against the wall of a house. if the bottom of the ladder is 8 feet from the house, how far from the ground is the top of the ladder?

Algebra ->  Radicals -> SOLUTION: a 17-foot ladder is placed against the wall of a house. if the bottom of the ladder is 8 feet from the house, how far from the ground is the top of the ladder?      Log On


   

Question 31941: a 17-foot ladder is placed against the wall of a house. if the bottom of the ladder is 8 feet from the house, how far from the ground is the top of the ladder?
Answer by Paul(988) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let x be the distance of the ground to the top of the ladder:
From pythagorean theorem:
8%5E2%2Bx%5E2=17%5E2
64%2Bx%5E2=289
x%5E2=225
x=15.
Hence, the distance from the ground to the top of the ladder is 15ft.
Paul.