A ladder 6.5 m long leans against a wall…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A ladder long leans against a wall. Its foot is from the wall. Find how high up the wall it reaches, and the cosine and tangent of the angle it makes with the ground.
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
When one ratio is known, take its two sides as and , find the third side with Pythagoras, and read off the other ratios. The always cancels.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The height. .
Step 2. Cosine. .
Step 3. Tangent. .
Answer: The ladder reaches ; and .
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