tommy is playing with a kite, and it flies 80 feet high with 100 feet of string released. what is the horizontal distance from tommy to the kite?
So you want the base of a right-angled triangle, call it x
x^2 + 80^2 = 100^2
continue ...
x^2+80^2=100^2
To find the horizontal distance from Tommy to the kite, we can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.
In this case, the height of the kite (80 feet) represents one side of the right triangle, and the length of the string released (100 feet) represents the hypotenuse of the right triangle. The horizontal distance from Tommy to the kite represents the other side of the right triangle.
Let's call the horizontal distance from Tommy to the kite "x". Using the Pythagorean theorem, the equation becomes:
x^2 + 80^2 = 100^2
Simplifying this equation, we have:
x^2 + 6400 = 10000
Subtracting 6400 from both sides of the equation, we have:
x^2 = 10000 - 6400
x^2 = 3600
Taking the square root of both sides of the equation, we have:
x = √3600
x = 60
Therefore, the horizontal distance from Tommy to the kite is 60 feet.