Solve the problem.
-A ladder that is 15 feet long is 9 feet from the base of a wall. How far up the wall does the ladder reach?
B) 12 ft
D) 144 ft

Question

Solve the problem.
-A ladder that is 15 feet long is 9 feet from the base of a wall. How far up the wall does the ladder reach?
B) 12 ft 
D) 144 ft

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is a right triangle problem where the ladder represents the hypotenuse, the distance from the base of the wall to where the ladder meets the wall is one leg, and the distance from the top of the wall to where the ladder meets the wall is the other leg. Using the Pythagorean theorem, we have 9^2 + x^2 = 15^2, where x is the distance up the wall the ladder reaches. Solving for x, we get x = 12. Therefore, the ladder reaches 12 feet up the wall, so the answer is B. This is a right triangle problem where the ladder (which represents the hypotenuse) is given as 15 ft and one leg of the triangle is given as 9 ft. Using the Pythagorean theorem, we can solve for the second leg (which represents the height up the wall):

a^2 + b^2 = c^2
9^2 + b^2 = 15^2
81 + b^2 = 225
b^2 = 144
b = 12

Therefore, the ladder reaches 12 feet up the wall.

Solve the Problem. -A Ladder That Is 15 Feet Long Is 9 Feet