A ladder 15 m long leans against a vertical wall with its foot 9 m from the wall. How high up the wall does it reach, in meters?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. 12
- Step 1: The ladder, the wall and the ground form a right triangle with the ladder as hypotenuse.
- Step 2: h^2 = 15^2 - 9^2 = 144, so h = 12.
Answer
12.
Why not the others: 6 subtracts the lengths without squaring; 24 adds them; 144 is h squared.
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