Question

julian is fishing from a small boat. a fish swimming at the same depth as the hook at the end of his fishing line is 18 feet away from the hook. if julian is 30 feet away from the fish, how far below julian is the hook?
square feet

Explanation:

Step1: Identify right triangle sides

We have a right triangle where:

• Hypotenuse (Julian to fish): $c=30$ feet
• Horizontal leg (hook to fish): $a=18$ feet
• Vertical leg (Julian to hook, unknown): $b$

Step2: Apply Pythagorean theorem

Use $c^2 = a^2 + b^2$, rearrange to solve for $b$:
$$b = \sqrt{c^2 - a^2}$$

Step3: Substitute values and calculate

$$b = \sqrt{30^2 - 18^2} = \sqrt{900 - 324} = \sqrt{576}$$

Step4: Compute square root

$$\sqrt{576} = 24$$

Answer:

24 feet