HW: A Word Problem that I Do Not Understand

[yosuke188]

Okay here is the question:

1. A ladder 10 ft long leans against a wall. The bottom of the ladder is 6ft from the wall. How much would the lower end of the ladder have to be pulled away so that the top end would be pulled down the same amount?

What the heck are they asking for? I'm real good at math (Asian), but when you don't know what the question is trying to ask, it's hard to solve. Hope you guys can explain it in simple English. Thanks

 

[TheoPetro]

do you want it in english or korean?

 

[Mrvile]

I understand it but it's hard to put into words.

 

[Howard]

Find delta x such that delta x = delta y.

 

[rahul]

As I understand it,

The ladder and the wall form a rt angled triangle with a base of 6 ft and hypotenuse of 10 ft (ht = 8 ft).

Now, by what length "x" would you increase the base of the triangle such that the ht of the new triangle is 8-x ft.

 

[JDrake]

Originally posted by: yosuke188
Okay here is the question:

1. A ladder 10 ft long leans against a wall. The bottom of the ladder is 6ft from the wall. How much would the lower end of the ladder have to be pulled away so that the top end would be pulled down the same amount?

What the heck are they asking for? I'm real good at math (Asian), but when you don't know what the question is trying to ask, it's hard to solve. Hope you guys can explain it in simple English. Thanks

WHO makes these stereotypes? hahaha

 

[yosuke188]

Originally posted by: rahul
As I understand it,

The ladder and the wall form a rt angled triangle with a base of 6 ft and hypotenuse of 10 ft (ht = 8 ft).

Now, by what length "x" would you increase the base of the triangle such that the ht of the new triangle is 8-x ft.

I get it now. Thanks a bunch. :thumbsup:

 

[yosuke188]

Originally posted by: joedrake

Originally posted by: yosuke188
Okay here is the question:

1. A ladder 10 ft long leans against a wall. The bottom of the ladder is 6ft from the wall. How much would the lower end of the ladder have to be pulled away so that the top end would be pulled down the same amount?

What the heck are they asking for? I'm real good at math (Asian), but when you don't know what the question is trying to ask, it's hard to solve. Hope you guys can explain it in simple English. Thanks

WHO makes these stereotypes? hahaha

Most stereotypes are there because it's true.

 

[Cattlegod]

dude, are you serious? that is easy as hell. tell me you are in HS.

anyway, it wants to know the remainder of one of the sides of an isometric triangle (only 2 sides) subtracted from 6 with a hypotenuse of 10.

 

[JDrake]

Originally posted by: yosuke188

Originally posted by: joedrake

Originally posted by: yosuke188
Okay here is the question:

1. A ladder 10 ft long leans against a wall. The bottom of the ladder is 6ft from the wall. How much would the lower end of the ladder have to be pulled away so that the top end would be pulled down the same amount?

What the heck are they asking for? I'm real good at math (Asian), but when you don't know what the question is trying to ask, it's hard to solve. Hope you guys can explain it in simple English. Thanks

WHO makes these stereotypes? hahaha

Most stereotypes are there because it's true.

Yes, I know, but at school I remember lots of anti-stereotype lectures and demonstrations

 

[Mrvile]

Originally posted by: Cattlegod
dude, are you serious? that is easy as hell. tell me you are in HS.

anyway, it wants to know the remainder of one of the sides of an isometric triangle (only 2 sides) subtracted from 6 with a hypotenuse of 10.

That's not even HS material...

 

[Cattlegod]

Originally posted by: rahul
As I understand it,

The ladder and the wall form a rt angled triangle with a base of 6 ft and hypotenuse of 10 ft (ht = 8 ft).

Now, by what length "x" would you increase the base of the triangle such that the ht of the new triangle is 8-x ft.

that is not correct because it says the top pulled down by the same amount. i think it wants you to drag the ladder down so that both sides are equal length.

 

[iamwiz82]

The wording sucks

 

[Cattlegod]

Originally posted by: Mrvile

Originally posted by: Cattlegod
dude, are you serious? that is easy as hell. tell me you are in HS.

anyway, it wants to know the remainder of one of the sides of an isometric triangle (only 2 sides) subtracted from 6 with a hypotenuse of 10.

That's not even HS material...

sounds like 9th grade geometry, but i see what you mean

 

[Savarak]

imagine it in your mind... when you pull the lower end of the ladder away from the wall, the top end of the ladder kinda slides down... what they are asking is, how far would you have to pull the lower end away from the wall such that the ladder makes a triangle with the wall such that the inner angles are 45degrees each...

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Savarak
imagine it in your mind... when you pull the lower end of the ladder away from the wall, the top end of the ladder kinda slides down... what they are asking is, how far would you have to pull the lower end away from the wall such that the ladder makes a triangle with the wall such that the inner angles are 45degrees each...

Not from how I read it.

find the movement from 6m where the top will move down the exact amount. So base = 6 + x and height = y - x. Solve for y via pythagorean thereom and then find x.

At least, thats how I read it.

 

[Vincent]

Draw a picture or try it with a pencil and the wall.

 

[Eeezee]

Everyone else has explained this fairly well, but what class is this for?

 

[Cattlegod]

The answer is 2ft.

 

[yosuke188]

I made the mistake that iamwiz made. I said x^2 + x^2 = 10^2

That just got me confused. All solved now. The answer, which was obvious from the beginning, is 2ft. Just needed to get the equation right.

 

[BooGiMaN]

Originally posted by: yosuke188
I made the mistake that iamwiz made. I said x^2 + x^2 = 10^2

That just got me confused. All solved now. The answer, which was obvious from the beginning, is 2ft. Just needed to get the equation right.

your asianess seems to have failed you on this problem