SOLUTION: Mr. Dawson is leaning a ladder against the side of his house to repair the roof. The top of the ladder reaches the roof, which is 12 feet high. The base of the ladder is 5 feet awa

Algebra ->  Customizable Word Problem Solvers  -> Misc -> SOLUTION: Mr. Dawson is leaning a ladder against the side of his house to repair the roof. The top of the ladder reaches the roof, which is 12 feet high. The base of the ladder is 5 feet awa      Log On

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Question 1109520: Mr. Dawson is leaning a ladder against the side of his house to repair the roof. The top of the ladder reaches the roof, which is 12 feet high. The base of the ladder is 5 feet away from the house, where Mr. Dawson's son is holding it steady. How long is the ladder?
Answer by Boreal(15235) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
If you draw this, the ladder is the hypotenuse of a right triangle. One can use the Pythagorean Theorem or perhaps remember 5-12-13 right triangles. The two legs are 5 and 12. The ladder is 13 feet long.