Question

FAN AND MEDAL, please help
A telephone pole stands exactly in the middle between two houses. The houses are 72 feet apart. If a wire is stretched from the top of the pole to the base of the house, its length is 39 feet. If needed, draw a picture to help you solve the problem.

A. What is the distance of the pole from each house? Make sure to show your work and label your answer.
B. What is the height of the pole? Make sure to show your work and label your answer

Answer 1

@wolfe8

Answer 2

@nicole_annie1

Answer 3

Since the houses are 72 feet apart and the pole is half way between them, the pole is 36 feet from each of the houses. To find its height we use Pythagoras again, with the floor distance equal to 36 and the hypotenuse, which is given by the wire, equal to 39.

36^2 + b^2 = 39^2

b^2 = 1521 - 1296 = 25

b = 15 (again)