Question

select the correct answer.
a city bus has a wheelchair ramp. when the bus is raised so that the door is 2 feet above the ground, the end of the ramp is 3 feet away from the bus. if the bus is lowered so the door is 1.5 feet above the ground, approximately how far away will the end of the ramp be from the bus?
door
2 ft
ramp
3 ft
3.6 feet
10.8 feet
2.3 feet
3.3 feet

Explanation:

Step1: Set up proportion

Since the two right - triangles (formed by the ramp, height of the door and the ground distance) are similar. Let \(x\) be the new ground distance. The proportion is \(\frac{2}{3}=\frac{1.5}{x}\).

Step2: Solve for \(x\)

Cross - multiply: \(2x = 1.5\times3\), so \(2x=4.5\), then \(x=\frac{4.5}{2}=2.25\approx2.3\)

Answer:

2.3 feet