Question

a blimp can be seen flying at an altitude of 4700 feet above a motor speedway during a race. the slanted distance directly to the pagoda at the start - finish line is d feet. express the horizontal distance h as a function of d.
the horizontal distance h as a function of d is h(d)=. (do not simplify. do not factor. type an exact answer, using radicals as needed.)

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

We know that in a right - triangle, $d^{2}=h^{2}+4700^{2}$, where $d$ is the hypotenuse, $h$ is the horizontal side and 4700 is the vertical side.

Step2: Solve for $h$

$h^{2}=d^{2}-4700^{2}$, then $h = \pm\sqrt{d^{2}-4700^{2}}$. Since $h$ represents a distance (non - negative), we take the positive value.

Answer:

$\sqrt{d^{2}-4700^{2}}$