Question

bob tied the end of his kite to a stake in the ground 11ft away from a 14ft tall street light. the top of the kite touches the top of the street light. if the body of the kite is 4ft, how long is the kite string?
a. 14.1ft
b. 17.8ft
c. 13.8ft
d. 21.8ft

Explanation:

Step1: Find vertical height of kite

The street light is 14 ft tall, and the kite body is 4 ft below the top. So vertical distance from ground to kite:
$14 - 4 = 10$ ft

Step2: Identify right triangle sides

The horizontal distance from stake to street light is 11 ft (adjacent side), vertical height of kite is 10 ft (opposite side). The kite string is the hypotenuse $c$. Use Pythagorean theorem: $c = \sqrt{a^2 + b^2}$

Step3: Calculate hypotenuse

Substitute $a=11$, $b=10$:
$c = \sqrt{11^2 + 10^2} = \sqrt{121 + 100} = \sqrt{221} \approx 14.87$ ft, rounded to 14.9 ft

Answer:

A. 14.9ft