Question
- CONSTRUCTION A roofer props a ladder against a wall so that the top of the ladder reaches a 30 -foot roof that needs
repair. If the angle of elevation from the bottom of the ladder to the roof is
, how far is the ladder from the base of
the wall? Round your answer to the nearest foot.
repair. If the angle of elevation from the bottom of the ladder to the roof is
the wall? Round your answer to the nearest foot.
Ask by Herrera Gross. in the United States
Mar 20,2025
Upstudy AI Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
The ladder is approximately 21 feet away from the base of the wall.
Solution
Step 1: Identify the right triangle components
The ladder, wall, and ground form a right triangle. The height of the roof is the side opposite the angle, and the distance from the ladder to the wall is the side adjacent to the angle.
The ladder, wall, and ground form a right triangle. The height of the roof is the side opposite the
Step 2: Use the tangent function
In a right triangle, the tangent of an angle is the ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side. Therefore,
In a right triangle, the tangent of an angle is the ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side. Therefore,
where
is the horizontal distance from the base of the wall to the ladder.
Step 3: Solve for
Rearrange the equation to solve for :
Rearrange the equation to solve for
Step 4: Calculate
First, compute . Using a calculator,
First, compute
Then,
Step 5: Round the answer
Since the problem asks for the answer rounded to the nearest foot,
Since the problem asks for the answer rounded to the nearest foot,
Final Answer:
feet.
Answered by UpStudy AI and reviewed by a Professional Tutor
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Bonus Knowledge
To find how far the ladder is from the base of the wall, we can use trigonometry. We have the height of the roof (30 feet) and the angle of elevation (55 degrees). Using the sine function:
where
is the length of the ladder. Rearranging gives us:
Now we can find the distance (the adjacent side) from the wall using the cosine function:
Thus, the distance from the wall (which we denote as
) is:
Calculating the values gives:
-
feet (when using a calculator for sine). - Then,
feet.
So, the ladder is approximately 20 feet from the base of the wall.
Final rounded answer: 20 feet.