SOLUTION: A 19.5 foot ladder leans against a building. The base of the ladder is 7.5 feet from the building. how high up on the building does the ladder reach?

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Question 1124063: A 19.5 foot ladder leans against a building. The base of the ladder is 7.5 feet from the building. how high up on the building does the ladder reach?
Answer by MathLover1(20849) About Me  (Show Source):
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A 19.5ft ladder leans against a building. The base of the ladder is 7.5ft from the building.
how high up on the building does the ladder reach?

ladder,distance of the base of the ladder from the building, and high up on the building does the ladder reach form right angle triangle where
the length of the ladder represents hypotenuse c
the length of the distance of the base of the ladder from the building represents leg a, and
the length of height up on the building does the ladder reach represents leg b
given:
c=19.5ft
a=7.5ft
using Pythagorean theorem, we have

b%5E2=c%5E2-a%5E2
b%5E2=%2819.5ft%29%5E2-%287.5ft%29%5E2
b%5E2=380.25%28ft%29%5E2-56.25%28ft%29%5E2
b%5E2=324%28ft%29%5E2
b=sqrt%28324%28ft%29%5E2%29
b=18ft
the ladder reach 18ft high up on the building