SOLUTION: a gaint redwood tree fell during a storm. the place where the tree craacked is 28 feet from the groung and the top of the tree is 96 feeet from the trunk of the tree. how tall was

Algebra ->  Expressions-with-variables -> SOLUTION: a gaint redwood tree fell during a storm. the place where the tree craacked is 28 feet from the groung and the top of the tree is 96 feeet from the trunk of the tree. how tall was      Log On


   

Question 273534: a gaint redwood tree fell during a storm. the place where the tree craacked is 28 feet from the groung and the top of the tree is 96 feeet from the trunk of the tree. how tall was the redwood tree before it fell. Justify your answer
Answer by bobdabuildr(27) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
you end up with a triangle. The problem didn't state but I assume it is a right triangle so we can use the formula of a%5E2%2Bb%5E2=c%5E2
28%5E2%2B96%5E2=c%5E2
784%2B+9216=c%5E2
c%5E2=10000 to solve for c we need to find the square root of both sides. the sqrt of c%5E2=c and the sqrt of 10000=100. This make the answer c=100
The first number that was given, 28 was the part of the tree still standing. The distance from the top of the tree along the ground to the base of the tree is 96. Our job is to find out how long the fallen piece is. We did this by completeing the pythagorean theorem. Now that we have the length of the tree that was left standing and the length of the piece that is broken and hinged over, all we have to do is add them together.
So, 28+100=128 this means that the tree was 128 ft tall before it fell.