Question

A 12-foot ladder is leaning across a fence and is touching a higher wall located 3 feet behind the fence. The ladder makes an angle of 60 degrees with the ground. Find the distance from the base of the ladder to the bottom of the fence. Show all of your work.

Answer 1

3 feet

Explanation:

A 12-foot ladder is leaning across a fence and is touching a higher wall located 3 feet behind the fence. The ladder makes an angle of 60 degrees with the ground.

ladder is 12 foot

The ladder makes an angle of 60 degrees with the ground.

It form a right angle triangle . ladder is the hypotenuse

`cos(60)=(x)/(12)`

`0.5= (x)/(12)`

multiply 12 on both sides

x= 6

the distance from the base of the ladder to the bottom of the fence

x-3 = 6-3=3 feet