Question

two window washers, cindy and alvin, lean a ladder against the side of a building so that cindy can wash a window while alvin holds the ladder. the top of the ladder reaches the window, which is 3 meters off the ground. the base of the ladder is 4 meters away from the building. how long is the ladder? meters

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

The Pythagorean theorem is \(a^{2}+b^{2}=c^{2}\), where \(a = 3\) (height of the window), \(b = 4\) (distance of the base of the ladder from the building), and \(c\) is the length of the ladder.
Substitute \(a = 3\) and \(b = 4\) into the formula: \(3^{2}+4^{2}=c^{2}\).

Step2: Calculate the squares

\(3^{2}=9\) and \(4^{2}=16\). So, \(9 + 16=c^{2}\).

Step3: Sum the values

\(9+16 = 25\), so \(c^{2}=25\).

Step4: Find the square root

Take the square root of both sides: \(c=\sqrt{25}\).

Answer:

\(5\)