A 100-ft diagonal brace on a bridge connects a support of the center of the bridge to a side support on the bridge. The horizontal distance that it spans is 20 ft longer than the height that it reaches on the side of the bridge. Find the horizontal and vertical distances spanned by this brace.

Question

anonymous · Answer

Gotta be a type-o, right?

anonymous · Answer

reread your question while i keep looking at it

anonymous · Answer

ok...

anonymous · Answer

It's copied and pasted exactly how my online course has it worded...

anonymous · Answer

hmmm... ok, still mulling this one over

anonymous · Answer

Something's definitely wrong with the values is what I am guessing!

anonymous · Answer

Its a 3 4 5 triangle, durh. Making it a triangle with sides of 60 80 and 100. So the span is 80 feet and the height 60 feet.

anonymous · Answer

Can you give me the equation? I have no idea what a 3 4 5 triangle is...sorry.

anonymous · Answer

What class are you in? This should be a trig problem.

anonymous · Answer

Intermediate Algebra!!!

anonymous · Answer

Well, there is no equation other than $$a ^{2}+b ^{2}= c^2$$ to know. Other than that you have to know the relationships of triangles. Unless you are to solve this some other way that I don't remember this is a bit much for intermediate algebra.

anonymous · Answer

Wow, sorry about that.

anonymous · Answer

Ok, my computer is having issues.

anonymous · Answer

Whew!! I still appreciate it though..I was using the Pythagorean Theorem but still couldn't find a solution,,,That was a Lot of help!!!Thanks