Martha is in a hot air balloon that has risen straight up from the launch point. Matthew is standing on the ground, 16 meters away from the launch point. If Martha and Matthew are 20 meters apart, how high has the balloon risen?

A. 4 meters
B. 12 meters
C. 36 meters
D. 144 meters

its 12

To solve this problem, we can use the Pythagorean theorem which states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides.

In this case, we can consider the distance between Martha and Matthew as the hypotenuse of a right triangle, and the horizontal distance (16 meters) as one side of the triangle.

Let's say the height Martha has risen is represented by 'x' meters. Then, the distance between Martha and Matthew forms the hypotenuse of the right triangle, which is 20 meters. The horizontal distance between them is 16 meters.

Using the Pythagorean theorem, we have:

(16^2) + (x^2) = (20^2)

Simplifying the equation, we get:

256 + x^2 = 400

Subtracting 256 from both sides, we get:

x^2 = 400 - 256
x^2 = 144

Taking the square root of both sides, we find:

x = √144
x = 12

Therefore, the balloon has risen 12 meters.
So, the answer is option B. 12 meters.

144

What is the

Answer

simple case of Pythagoras

h^2 + 16^2 = 20^2

solve for h