A 12-foot ladder is leaning across a fence and is touching a higher wall located 3 feet behind the fence. The ladder makes an angle of 60 degrees with the ground. Find the distance from the base of the ladder to the bottom of the fence.

Question

anonymous · Answer

I just need the formula

anonymous · Answer

Have a drawing?

anonymous · Answer

nope :/

anonymous · Answer

oops, that 3 should be measured along the ground, not above the wall

anonymous · Answer

Your 3 is at the wrong spot :/

anonymous · Answer

Yeah ;)

anonymous · Answer

|dw:1348611870794:dw|

anonymous · Answer

@brittany1595  are you doing sines and cosines yet?

anonymous · Answer

yeah I am, I just dont know how to set up the problem :/

anonymous · Answer

Cos(60) should be equal 12 / (full distance from wall to base of ladder)      right?

anonymous · Answer

adjacent / hypotenuse

anonymous · Answer

so cos(60) = 12/(x+3)  where "x" is the distance from the base of the ladder to the base of the fence... that's what you are trying to find.

Find cos(60) and then simplify the expression and solve for x using regular algebra

anonymous · Answer

Is this making sense?  @brittany1595

anonymous · Answer

kinda lol
so 60= 12(x+3) and I have to find x?

anonymous · Answer

um... I call "time out".  I might have made an error... lemme check this before we go on.

anonymous · Answer

Sorry... back.

(x+3) is the adjacent side.  12 is the hypotenuse.   (x+3)/12 should be the cos(60)

cos(60) = 1/2

So to make (x+3)/12  =  1/2     x must be equal to 3

anonymous · Answer

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anonymous · Answer

Think I lost my focus earlier (rats!) but the above drawing and solution should be right.

anonymous · Answer

so x=3?

anonymous · Answer

yes, assuming I didn't mess up again (sheeesh!)

radicalsniper · Answer

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The given are the adjacent and the hypothenuse. What trigonometric function can you use? :)