Question

a 17 - foot wire is attached to the top of a 15 - foot pole to keep it upright. the wire is anchored to the ground.
what is the approximate distance from the base of the pole to the point where the wire is anchored to the ground?

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

Let the distance be \(x\). According to \(a^{2}+b^{2}=c^{2}\), here \(a = 15\), \(c=17\), and \(b=x\). So \(x^{2}+15^{2}=17^{2}\).

Step2: Solve for \(x\)

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Answer:

\(8\) ft