SOLUTION: a 19 1/2 foot ladder leans against a building. the base of the ladder is 7 1/2 ft from the building. how high up the building does the ladder reach?

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Question 564720: a 19 1/2 foot ladder leans against a building. the base of the ladder is 7 1/2 ft from the building. how high up the building does the ladder reach?
Answer by mananth(16946) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The ladder ,ground and the wall form a right triangle
ground distance = leg1
height at which ladder touches =leg2
Hypotenuse = ladder length
Pythagoras theorem states that

Hypotenuse ^2= leg1^2+leg2^2

Hypotenuse = 19.5 ft
leg1 = 7.5 ft

leg2^2= hypotenuse ^2 - leg1^2

Leg2^2= 19.5 ^2 - 7.5 ^2
Leg2^2= 380.25 - 56.25
Leg2^2= 324
take the square root
leg2= 18 ft

Height at which ladder touches the wall= 18 ft
m.ananth@hotmail.ca