Question 665721
The ladder,the floor & the wall form a right triangle.										
The base is one leg					The height is the other leg					
The ladder acts as the hypotenuse										
Pythagoras theorem										
										
(Hyp)^2=		(leg1)^2+			Leg2^2					
Hypotenuse =			20	ft						
leg1=			12	ft						
Leg2=			?							
										
leg2^2=hyp^2-leg1^2										
Leg2^2=		20	^2	-	12	^2				
Leg2^2= 		400	-	144						
Leg2^2= 		256								
Leg2=		{{{sqrt(256)}}}								
Leg2=		16	ft							
										
The ladder touches the ground at a distance  of	16	ft from the foot of building
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