Learning Ladder?

Question

A 10-foot ladder is placed against a building so that the distance from the bottom of the ladder to the building is 2 feet less than the distance from the top of the ladder to the ground. What is the distance from the bottom of the ladder to the building?

Answer 1

I think you mean "leaning".

h = distance from top to ground.

d = distance from bottom to wall

d = h - 2

10² = d² + h²

100 = (h - 2) + h²

100 = h² - 4h +4 + h²

50 = h² - 2h + 2

h² - 2h - 48 = 0

(h - 8)(h + 6) = 0

h = 8 (skipping the - answer)

d = 6

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