Question

a right angle is made where the top of a ladder meets the top of a slide as shown in the picture below. what is the length of the slide? √8 meters 8 meters 12 meters √194 meters

Explanation:

Step1: Identify the problem type

This is a right - triangle problem, use Pythagorean theorem $a^{2}+b^{2}=c^{2}$, where $c$ is the hypotenuse and $a,b$ are the legs of the right - triangle. Let the height of the ladder be $a = 5$ m and the base distance be $b=13$ m. We want to find the length of the slide (hypotenuse $c$).

Step2: Apply the Pythagorean theorem

$c=\sqrt{a^{2}+b^{2}}=\sqrt{5^{2}+13^{2}}=\sqrt{25 + 169}=\sqrt{194}$ m

Answer:

$\sqrt{194}$ meters