Question 426473
During summer heat a 6 mile bridge expands 6 feet in length.
 Assuming the bulge is in the center of the bridge and straight up, how high is the bulge?
:
a)What is the exact height in feet using radicals as needed without simplifying?
:
A right triangle formed by half the bridge
Find the number of ft in 3 miles: 3 * 5280 = 15840 ft, on a cold day
The expansion on half the bridge will be 3 ft, on a hot day: 15843 ft
Let x = height the bridge rises in the middle
x^2 + 15840^2 = 15843^2
x^2 = 15843^2 - 15840^2
x = {{{sqrt(15843^2 - 15840^2)}}}
x = {{{sqrt(95049) }}} ft
:
:
b)What is the height of the bulge in feet simplified using an integer or decimal rounded to the nearest thousandth?
x = 308.3 ft
:
That seems like a lot but, there's the math anyway.