Question

2 an 18-foot ladder is leaning against a wall. the bottom of the ladder is 4.7 feet from the wall. which measurement is closest to the height of the wall in feet?
f 18.6 ft
g 22.7 ft
h 13.3 ft
j 17.4 ft
8.7c

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

Let $c=18$ ft (ladder, hypotenuse), $a=4.7$ ft (base), $b$ = height.
$$b = \sqrt{c^2 - a^2}$$

Step2: Calculate squared values

$$c^2 = 18^2 = 324, \quad a^2 = 4.7^2 = 22.09$$

Step3: Subtract and take square root

$$b = \sqrt{324 - 22.09} = \sqrt{301.91} \approx 17.38$$

Answer:

J. 17.4 ft