To wash a window that is 5 meters off the ground, Alvin leans a 6-meter ladder against the side of the building. To reach the window, how far away from the building should Alvin place the base of the ladder? If necessary, round to the nearest tenth
Using the Pythagorean theorem, we can solve for the horizontal distance:
a^2 + b^2 = c^2
where a is the distance from the base of the ladder to the building, b is the height of the window, and c is the length of the ladder.
In this case, a is the unknown, b is 5 meters, and c is 6 meters.
Applying the Pythagorean theorem:
a^2 + 5^2 = 6^2
a^2 + 25 = 36
a^2 = 36 - 25
a^2 = 11
Taking the square root of both sides:
a ≈ √11
a ≈ 3.32
Therefore, Alvin should place the base of the ladder approximately 3.32 meters away from the building.