Question

a kite is flying 6 ft off the ground. its line is pulled taut and casts a 5 - ft shadow. find the length of the line. if necessary, round your answer to the nearest tenth.

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

Let the line length be $c$, vertical side $a=6$, horizontal side $b=5$. The theorem is $c=\sqrt{a^2+b^2}$.

Step2: Substitute values into formula

$$c=\sqrt{6^2+5^2}=\sqrt{36+25}$$

Step3: Calculate and round result

$$c=\sqrt{61}\approx7.8$$

Answer:

7.8 ft