SOLUTION: Just a quick question. I built a shelf. Its going to be 24" from the wall at a height of 38". How long do I make my braces from the front edge to the back at floor level?

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Question 98335: Just a quick question.
I built a shelf. Its going to be 24" from the wall at a height of 38". How long do I make my braces from the front edge to the back at floor level?
Found 2 solutions by bucky, ankor@dixie-net.com:
Answer by bucky(2189) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
You can solve this problem using the Pythagorean theorem because a right triangle is involved.
The right triangle has as its vertexes the corner formed by the wall meeting the floor, the
corner where the shelf meets the wall, and the front edge of the shelf.
.
The Pythagorean theorem says that the sum of the squares of the two legs of the right triangle
is equal to the square of the longest side, and the longest side in this problem is the
distance from the front edge of the shelf to the corner where the wall and floor meet.
Call this longest distance L, and the legs of the triangle are 24 inches and 38 inches.
.
So the Pythagorean equation described previously becomes:
.
24%5E2+%2B+38%5E2+=+L%5E2
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and 24%5E2+=+24%2A24+=+576 and 38%5E2+=+38%2A38+=+1444. Substitute these values and
the equation becomes:
.
576+%2B+1444+=+L%5E2
.
Add the two numbers on the left side to get:
.
2020+=+L%5E2
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Finally, solve for L by taking the square root of both sides to get:
.
L+=+sqrt%282020%29+=+44.9444
.
So the distance from the front edge of the shelf to the junction of the wall and the floor
is 44.9444 inches which is pretty darn close to 44 and 15/16 inches.
.
Hope this helps you to understand the problem and to see how the answer can be calculated.
.

Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
It's going to be 24" from the wall at a height of 38". How long do I make my braces from the front edge to the back at floor level?
:
The brace would be the hypotenuse. (c)
:
c = Sqrt(a^2 + b^2)
:
c = Sqrt(24^2 + 38^2)
:
c = Sqrt(576 + 1444)
:
c = Sqrt(2020)
:
c = 44.9 inches, say 45 inches
: