Problema Solution
The diagonal braces in a fire tower is 13 ft long and span a horizontal distance of 5 ft. How high does each brace reach vertically?
Answer provided by our tutors
make a drawing
let h represent the height of the tower
h = is the leg of a right triangle
d = 5 ft the horizontal distance is a leg of a right triangle
c = 13 ft the diagonal brace is the hypotenuse of right triangle
using Pythagorean Theorem we have:
h^2 + d^2 = c^2
h^2 = c^2 - d^2
h^2 = 13^2 - 5^2
h^2 = 144
h = 12 ft
each brace reaches 12 ft vertically.