SOLUTION: A telephone pole is to have a guide wire attached to its top and anchored to the ground at a point that is at a distance 34 feet less than the height of the pole from the base. If

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Question 1154138: A telephone pole is to have a guide wire attached to its top and anchored to the ground at a point that is at a distance 34 feet less than the height of the pole from the base. If the wire is to be 2 feet longer than the height of the pole, what is the height of the pole?
Found 2 solutions by josgarithmetic, mananth:
Answer by josgarithmetic(39623) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
You could make a drawing and label the sides of a right triangle like this:
y, height of pole
leg: y
leg: y-34
hypotenuse: y+2

Use Pythagorean Theorem Formula to solve for y.

Answer by mananth(16946) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

By Pythagoras Theorem
x%5E2+%2B%28x-34%29%5E2=+%28x%2B2%29%5E2+

x%5E2+%2Bx%5E2+-68x+%2B1156+=+x%5E2%2B4x+%2B4+
x%5E2-72x%2B+1152=0

(x-24)(x-48)=0
x=24 or 48
It cannot be 24
Height of pole = 48 feet