)) Two window washers, Hector and Michael, lean a ladder against the side of a building so
that Hector can wash a window while Michael holds the ladder. The top of the ladder reaches
the window, which is 12 feet off the ground. The base of the ladder is 9 feet away from the
building, How long is the ladder?

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Work Shown:

Refer to the diagram below.

a = 12 and b = 9 are the legs of the right triangle

c = unknown hypotenuse, which is the length of the ladder.

Use the Pythagorean theorem to solve for c

a^2+b^2 = c^2

12^2+9^2 = c^2

144+81 = c^2

225 = c^2

c^2 = 225

c = sqrt(225)

c = 15

The ladder is 15 feet long.

the answer is d

step-by-step explanation: