The base of a 15 foot ladder is 9 feet from a building. The top of the leaning ladder reaches and makes contact with the building’s roof. On the corner of the building, a 6 foot flagpole is erected on the roof. What is the height from the base of the building to the top of the flagpole? Please show your work.

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  18 feet

Step-by-step explanation:

The ladder length represents the hypotenuse of a right triangle with a base of 9 and an unknown height (h). We can find that height by using the Pythagorean theorem.

  9² +h² = 15²

  h² = 225 -81 = 144

  h = √144 = 12

So, the ladder extends 12 feet up the side of the building. That is the height of the roof. The top of the flagpole is 6 feet above that, so the top of the flagpole is ...

  12 ft + 6 ft = 18 ft

above the ground.

The height to the top of the flagpole is 18 feet.

do your own work and don"t cheat.

step-by-step explanation: