A handy man knows from experience that his 29-foot ladder rests in its most stable position when the distance of its base from a wall is 1 foot farther than the height it reaches up the wall. Draw a diagram and write an equation to find the unknown lengths

Question

A handy man knows from experience that his 29-foot ladder rests in its most stable position when the distance of its base from a wall is 1 foot farther than the height it reaches up the wall.  Draw a diagram and write an equation to find the unknown lengths

anonymous · Answer

$$a ^{2} + b ^{2} = c ^{2}$$
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$$1^{2} + 29^{2} = c ^{2}$$
$$\sqrt{842} = c$$
The unknown length (which I'm assuming is the length against the wall) is 29.02 feet.

smileyxl3 · Answer

@magix430 It doesn't say the distance from the base is 1 foot. It says it is 1 foot farther than the height it reaches up the wall. I think I got the equation though and I got the diagram from you. Thanks