SOLUTION: The base of a ladder is 3 feet away from the wall.The top of the ladder is 9 feet from the floor. Find the length of the ladder to the nearest thousandth. help me please?

Algebra ->  Radicals -> SOLUTION: The base of a ladder is 3 feet away from the wall.The top of the ladder is 9 feet from the floor. Find the length of the ladder to the nearest thousandth. help me please?      Log On


   

Question 78893: The base of a ladder is 3 feet away from the wall.The top of the ladder is 9 feet from the floor. Find the length of the ladder to the nearest thousandth.
help me please?
Answer by tutor_paul(519) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
You first need to recognize that the ladder and the wall form a right triangle with the height=9 and the base=3. Since this is a right triangle, you can use the Pythagorean theorem to find the hypoteneuse (which is the length of the ladder.)
Pythagorean theorem says:c%5E2=a%5E2%2Bb%5E2 where:
c=hypoteneuse
b=one side
a=other side
So your equation is:
c%5E2=9%5E2%2B3%5E2
Simplifying...
c%5E2=81%2B9
c%5E2=90
Take the square root of both sides...
c=sqrt%2890%29
You can simplify it a little more...
c=3sqrt%2810%29
Plug that into your calculator if you want a value and you are done.
Good Luck,
tutor_paul@yahoo.com