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6. Sasha is building a tree house. The walls are 6.5 feet tall and she is using a brace to hold up the wall while she nails it to the foor, The brace is 8 feet long and she has positioned it 5 feet from the wall. Does her wall meet the floor at a right angle? Explain.

Ask by Allan Schultz. in the United States
Mar 10,2025

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Tutor-Verified Answer

Answer

The wall does not meet the floor at a right angle because the measurements do not satisfy the Pythagorean theorem.

Solution

To determine if Sasha's wall meets the floor at a right angle, we can analyze the situation using the properties of a right triangle. ### Known Conditions: 1. The height of the wall (vertical side) = 6.5 feet. 2. The length of the brace (hypotenuse) = 8 feet. 3. The distance from the wall to the base of the brace (horizontal side) = 5 feet. ### Step-by-Step Solution: 1. **Identify the Triangle**: - The wall forms a vertical side of the triangle. - The distance from the wall to the base of the brace forms the horizontal side. - The brace itself is the hypotenuse. 2. **Use the Pythagorean Theorem**: The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (c) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides (a and b). This can be expressed as: \[ c^2 = a^2 + b^2 \] Where: - \( c \) = length of the brace (8 feet) - \( a \) = height of the wall (6.5 feet) - \( b \) = distance from the wall to the base of the brace (5 feet) 3. **Substitute the Values**: \[ 8^2 = 6.5^2 + 5^2 \] 4. **Calculate Each Side**: - Calculate \( 8^2 \): \[ 8^2 = 64 \] - Calculate \( 6.5^2 \): \[ 6.5^2 = 42.25 \] - Calculate \( 5^2 \): \[ 5^2 = 25 \] 5. **Add the Squares of the Other Two Sides**: \[ 42.25 + 25 = 67.25 \] 6. **Compare the Results**: Now we compare \( 64 \) (from the hypotenuse) with \( 67.25 \) (from the other two sides): \[ 64 \neq 67.25 \] ### Conclusion: Since \( 64 \) is not equal to \( 67.25 \), the wall does not meet the floor at a right angle. The brace is not positioned correctly to support the wall at a right angle to the floor.

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To determine if Sasha's wall meets the floor at a right angle, we can use the Pythagorean theorem. The distance from the bottom of the brace to the wall (5 feet) represents one leg of a right triangle, while the height of the wall (6.5 feet) represents the other leg. The length of the brace (8 feet) is the hypotenuse. According to the theorem, if \( a^2 + b^2 = c^2 \), where \( a \) and \( b \) are the legs and \( c \) is the hypotenuse, we can check if: \( 5^2 + 6.5^2 = 8^2 \) translates to \( 25 + 42.25 = 64 \), which simplifies to \( 67.25 \neq 64 \). Since the sum does not equal \( 64 \), the wall does not meet the floor at a right angle. To ensure a strong and stable treehouse, Sasha should always check the alignment before securing any walls or braces. Using a level can help verify that the wall is straight and perpendicular to the floor. Misalignment can lead to structural weaknesses, so it's worth taking the extra time to double-check!

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