Solve the problem.
-A 20 -foot pole is supported by two wires that extend from the top of the pole to points that are each 8 feet from the base of the pole. Find the total length of the two wires.
A) $8 \sqrt { 29 } \mathrm { ft }$
B) $4 \sqrt { 29 } \mathrm { ft }$
C) $928 \mathrm { ft }$
D) $56 \mathrm { ft }$

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Each wire forms a right triangle with the pole and the ground. The length of each wire can be found using the Pythagorean theorem: $c = \sqrt{a^2 + b^2}$, where $a = 20$ ft (the height of the pole), and $b = 8$ ft (the distance from the base of the pole to where the wire is anchored). Thus, the length of one wire is $\sqrt{20^2 + 8^2} = \sqrt{400 + 64} = \sqrt{464}$ ft. Simplifying $\sqrt{464}$ gives $2\sqrt{116}$, which further simplifies to $2\sqrt{4*29} = 4\sqrt{29}$ ft for one wire. Since there are two wires, the total length is $2 * 4\sqrt{29} = 8\sqrt{29}$ ft.

Solve the Problem 829ft8 \sqrt { 29 } \mathrm { ft }829​ft

Solve the Problem $8 \sqrt { 29 } \mathrm { ft }$