Related Rates, Calculus: A ladder 10 feet long rests against a vertical wall. If the bottom of the ladder slides away from the wall at the rate of 1 feet/second, how fast is the top of the ladder sliding down the wall when the bottom of the ladder is 6 feet from the wall.

Question

zarkon · Answer

use Pythagorean theorem

anonymous · Answer

it asks for a velocity, not a side of a triangle.

anonymous · Answer

it's asking for the rate of the one side of the triangle though

anonymous · Answer

set your first equation up like this

x^2+y^2=10

zarkon · Answer

like I said...use $$x^2+y^2=z^2$$

anonymous · Answer

10^2 i mean

anonymous · Answer

no differentiate both sides in respects to t

anonymous · Answer

now*

anonymous · Answer

then find out the height of y when x =6 and z = 10 to fnd the height and you'll have everything to put into the quation

anonymous · Answer

i got -.75 ft/sec but i haven't done this in like forever

anonymous · Answer

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