Solve. Round to the nearest tenth.
-A 30-ft-tall ladder is placed so that it reaches 19 ft up on the wall of a house. How far is the base of the ladder from the wall of the house?
A)23.2 ft
B)1261 ft
C)539 ft
D)35.5 ft

Question

Solve. Round to the nearest tenth.
-A 30-ft-tall ladder is placed so that it reaches 19 ft up on the wall of a house. How far is the base of the ladder from the wall of the house? 
A)23.2 ft 
B)1261 ft 
C)539 ft 
D)35.5 ft

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using the Pythagorean Theorem, we can find the distance from the wall to the base of the ladder:

(distance from the wall)^2 + (height of ladder)^2 = (length of ladder)^2

x^2 + 19^2 = 30^2

x^2 + 361 = 900

x^2 = 539

x ≈ 23.2

So, the base of the ladder is approximately 23.2 feet from the wall. Rounded to the nearest tenth, the answer is A) 23.2 ft. Using the Pythagorean theorem, we have:
(Base Distance)^2 + (Wall Height)^2 = (Ladder Length)^2
(Base Distance)^2 + 19^2 = 30^2
(Base Distance)^2 = 30^2 - 19^2
(Base Distance) ≈ 23.2 ft (rounded to the nearest tenth)

Solve. Round to the Nearest Tenth