Question

A ladder 25 feet long is leaning against a wall such that it touches 24 feet high window. How far is the foot of the ladder from the wall?

• A. 24.5 feet
• B. 12 feet
• C. 9 feet
• D. 7 feet

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Concept	Using the Pythagorean theorem to find the distance from the foot of the ladder to the wall.
Given	Ladder length (hypotenuse) = 25 feet, height up the wall = 24 feet

The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse (c) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides (a and b):

c2=a2+b2

Here, c = 25 feet and b = 24 feet. Let a be the distance from the foot of the ladder to the wall. We need to find a:

252=a2+242

Calculate 252 and 242:

252=625

242=576

Substitute these values back into the equation:

625=a2+576

Rearrange to solve for a2:

a2=625-576

a2=49

Take the square root of both sides to find a:

a=49=7

Therefore, the foot of the ladder is 7 feet from the wall.