Pythagorean Theorem

A ladder that is 17 feet long is 8 feet from the base of a wall.
How far up the wall does the ladder reach?

Pythagorean Theorem
a² + b² = c²  {a and b are the legs, and c is the hypotenuse...opposite the right angle}

a² + 8² = 172 {substituted in to the Pythagorean Theorem}
a² + 64 = 289  {squared the 8}
a² = 225  {subtracted 64 from both sides}
a = 15 ft  {took the square root of both sides}

Ask Algebra House