SOLUTION: A customer wants to make a teepee in his backyard for his children. He plans to use lengths of PVC plumbing pipe for the supports on the teepee, and he wants the teepee to be 12 f

Algebra ->  Polynomials-and-rational-expressions -> SOLUTION: A customer wants to make a teepee in his backyard for his children. He plans to use lengths of PVC plumbing pipe for the supports on the teepee, and he wants the teepee to be 12 f      Log On


   

Question 615183: A customer wants to make a teepee in his backyard for his children. He plans to use lengths of PVC plumbing pipe for the supports on the teepee, and he wants the teepee to be 12 feet across and 8 feet tall (see figure). How long should the pieces of PVC plumbing pipe be?

Answer by Earlsdon(6294) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Use the Pythagorean theorem to solve this:
The height (8ft.) and half the distance across (6ft.) are the height and base, respectively, of a right triangle.
The hypotenuse of this right triangle will give you the length (L) of PVC you want.
L%5E2+=+6%5E2%2B8%5E2
L%5E2+=+36%2B64
L%5E2+=+100 Take the square root of both sides.
L+=+10ft.