Question

During the summer heat, a 2-mi bridge expands 2 ft in length. assuming the bulge occurs straight up the middle, how high is the bulge?

The exact height of the bulge is ? ft.
(Type an exact answer, using radicals as needed. Do not simplify the radical.)

The height of the bulge is ? ft.
(Simplify your answer. Type an integer or a decimal. Round to the nearest thousandth.)

Answer 1

right triangle formed by:
half the horizontal (5 mi), as one leg (a)
height of the bulge above the horizontal, as the other leg (b)
half the expanded bridge as the hypotenuse. 5mi + 5ft (c)
:
Convert 5ft to miles and add to 5 mi:
5/5280 = 5.00094697 mi is the hypotenuse
:
a^2 + b^2 = c^2


:
5^2 + b^2 = 5.00094697^2
:
25 + b^2 = 25.00947059
:
b^2 = 25.00947059 - 25
:
b^2 = 0.00947059
b = .097317 mi is the height of the bulge
Convert to ft
.097317 * 5280 = 513.8 ft

Answer 2

helpful?