Ladder
Assume the ladder is NOT an extension ladder.
A 25 ft ladder is placed with its foot 7 ft away from a building. If the top of the ladder slips down 4 ft, how many feet will the bottom slide out?
Full Version: Trivia 6/23
18 ft?
Nope, keep trying.
8 ft!
this past math class did me well even though i failed!
this past math class did me well even though i failed!
This is my husband's attempt:
First you have to solve for how far up the wall the ladder is in the original position.
25 feet long ©, 7 feet from wall (a), ? feet up wall (b).
a^2 + b^2 = c^2 ..so..
7^2 + b^2 = 25^2
49 + b^2 = 625
b^2 = 625-49
b^2 = 576
b=24
so.. it was originally 24 feet up the wall, if it then slips 4 feet, that now makes it just 20 feet up the wall.
25 feet long ©, ? feet from wall (a), 20 feet up wall (b).
again a^2 + b^2 = c^2 ..so..
a^2 + 20^2 = 25^2
a^2 + 400 = 625
a^2 = 625-400
a^2 = 225
a= 15
i'll say it's now 15 feet from the wall. and at 53 degrees, in danger of hurting someone.
First you have to solve for how far up the wall the ladder is in the original position.
25 feet long ©, 7 feet from wall (a), ? feet up wall (b).
a^2 + b^2 = c^2 ..so..
7^2 + b^2 = 25^2
49 + b^2 = 625
b^2 = 625-49
b^2 = 576
b=24
so.. it was originally 24 feet up the wall, if it then slips 4 feet, that now makes it just 20 feet up the wall.
25 feet long ©, ? feet from wall (a), 20 feet up wall (b).
again a^2 + b^2 = c^2 ..so..
a^2 + 20^2 = 25^2
a^2 + 400 = 625
a^2 = 625-400
a^2 = 225
a= 15
i'll say it's now 15 feet from the wall. and at 53 degrees, in danger of hurting someone.
hmmm... i used the triangle theory... like how to find shadows and stuff...
ANSWER D2P!! Please!!
ANSWER D2P!! Please!!
| QUOTE (Redstripe @ Jun 25 2008, 09:04 PM) |
| hmmm... i used the triangle theory... like how to find shadows and stuff... ANSWER D2P!! Please!! |
If 15 is right, I take no credit. My husband is a software developer/ a bit of a math geek, so I have no clue if he is right. I was showing him this Trivia page because I really like it and he went nuts trying to solve this when I showed him this trivia question. So yes please, answer D2P!
oh he probably is right then! i just failed a math class!
Answer
8 ft
First triangle: 7 squared + 24 squared = 25 squared, so the top of the ladder was 24 feet high.
24 - 4= 20. 25 squared - 20 squared = 225. Take the square root of that and you get 15: the new base of the triangle. 15 - 7 (the old base) = 8ft
8 ft
First triangle: 7 squared + 24 squared = 25 squared, so the top of the ladder was 24 feet high.
24 - 4= 20. 25 squared - 20 squared = 225. Take the square root of that and you get 15: the new base of the triangle. 15 - 7 (the old base) = 8ft
GOOD JOB REDSTRIPE. YOU BEAT MY MATH GEEK. YEAH!!!!
Sweeeeet!! 
RS
ok so my husband wants to explain to make himself feel better 
yeah im an idiot. i read the question as 'how far out is the ladder after it slid 4ft' which is 15ft..............all well and good........except.... that wasn't the question
apparently you wanted how far further out it is.
oops. btw im no longer allowed to answer trivia questions, according to the boss - gennygrey
yeah im an idiot. i read the question as 'how far out is the ladder after it slid 4ft' which is 15ft..............all well and good........except.... that wasn't the question
apparently you wanted how far further out it is.oops. btw im no longer allowed to answer trivia questions, according to the boss - gennygrey
awww... poor thing ..
Men always over think things.