What is the distance the timber will extend out from the wall?

A carpenter used a 15.2 feet timber to brace a wall frame 5 feet high. If the construction site is level, what is the distance the timber will extend out from the wall?

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A right triangle is formed with the timber and the wall. Therefore, you can use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the distance the timber extends out from the wall.

Pythagorean Theorem
a² + b² = c²
a and b are the legs
c is the hypotenuse {the side across from the right angle}

a² + b² = c² {pythagorean theorem}
5² + b² = 15.2² {substituted 5 in for a, a leg, and 15.2 in for c, the hypotenuse}
​25 + b² = 231.04 {evaluated the exponents}
​b² = 206.04 {subtracted 25 from each side}
​b = 14.35 {took the square root of each side}

The timber will extend out approximately 14.35 feet from the wall.

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