Carlota has leaned a ladder against the side of her house. The ladder forms a 53˚ angle with the ground and rests against the house at a spot that is 4 meters high.

Which length is the best approximation for the distance along the ground from the bottom of the ladder to the wall?

2 m

3 m

4 m

5 m

to solve the distance along the ground from the bottom of the ladder to the wall use to formula:

tan x = o / a

where is x the angle

o is the opposite of the angle

a is the adjacent side of the angle

since we are looking for a

a = o / tan x

a = 4 / tan (53)

a = 3 m is distance between the foot of the ladder and the wall