We can use trigonometry to solve this problem. Let x be the distance from the foot of the ladder to the building, and let y be the length of the ladder. Then, we have:
tan(52) = y/x (since tangent = opposite/adjacent, and y is opposite to the angle of elevation and x is adjacent)
We also know that the ladder reaches 12 feet above the ground, so we have:
y = 12 + x (since y is the hypotenuse of the right triangle formed by the ladder, the ground, and the building)
We can substitute the second equation into the first to get:
tan(52) = (12 + x)/x
Simplifying this equation, we get:
tan(52)x = 12 + x
Using a calculator to find the tangent of 52, we get:
1.2799x = 12 + x
Solving for x, we get:
0.2799x = 12
x = 42.87 feet (rounded to two decimal places)
Therefore, the foot of the ladder is approximately 42.87 feet away from the building.