Question

A 30 foot pole is supported by two wires that extend from the top of the pole to points that are each 8 feet from the base of the pole. Find the total length of the two wires. Round to the nearest tenth, if necessary.

Answer 1

Answer:

Since the pole and the ground forms a "right angle" (90 degrees), we can use Pythagorean theorem to find the answer.

Let x = length of wire

then

30^2 + 16^2 = x^2

900 + 256 = x^2

1156 = x^2

34 feet = x (one wire)

Length of both wire:

34 + 34 = 68 feet

Step-by-step explanation: