Benton has an extension ladder than can only be used at a length of 10 feet, 15 feet, or 20 feet. He places the base of the ladder 6 feet from the wall and needs the top of the ladder to reach 8 feet.
Which ladder length would Benton need to use to reach this height on the wall?
A. 15 feet
B. 10 feet
C. 20 feet
D. None of these ladder lengths would reach this height.
B. 10 feet
To determine the length of the ladder needed, we can use the Pythagorean theorem: a^2 + b^2 = c^2
In this case, a = 6 feet (distance of the base of the ladder from the wall), b = 8 feet (height Benton wants to reach), and c = length of the ladder needed.
Plugging in the values, we get:
6^2 + 8^2 = c^2
36 + 64 = c^2
100 = c^2
c = 10 feet
Therefore, Benton would need to use a 10-foot ladder in this scenario.