A 15-foot ladder leans against a wall, with its base 9 feet away from the wall. How high up the wall does the ladder reach?
Options
A
10 ft
B
12 ft
C
14 ft
D
16 ft
Answer & Analysis
Answer
B
Analysis
Question Analysis:
This is a real-world application of the Pythagorean Theorem, modeling the ladder, wall, and ground as a right triangle.
Key Concept Explanation:
The Pythagorean Theorem states that in a right triangle:
where and are the legs, and is the hypotenuse.
The ladder forms the hypotenuse, while the distance from the wall and the height reached are the legs.
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Given: Hypotenuse () = 15 ft, Leg () = 9 ft.
2. Find the other leg ():
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