Question

Bennett is setting up a light display for a wedding with two 10-foot strands of lights. The lights will be attached to the top of a pole and two stakes on the ground forming two right triangles. If the distance from the base of the pole to each stake is the same as the height of the pole, how tall, in feet, should the pole be? Round you answer to the nearest tenth.

Answer 1

7.1

Explanation:

write pythagorean theorem
`x^(2)` +
`x^(2)` =
`10^2`

2
`x^2` = 100

divide 2 both side:

`x^(2)` = 50

`√(x^2)` =
`√(50)`

`x` =
`√(50)`

`x` = 7.07106781

round to nearest tenth:

`x` = 7.1