Answer:
the top of the ladder is at 24 feet from the ground
Step-by-step explanation:
Use the Pythagorean theorem to solve for the unknown, since we notice that the ladder is the hypotenuse of a right angle triangle formed by the horizontal distance from the wall to the base of the ladder, and the height of the top of the ladder against the wall. We need to find one of the triangle's sides given its hypotenuse and the other side, so we use the formula:
[tex]side_2=\sqrt{hyp^2-side_1^2}\\ side_2=\sqrt{26^2-10^2} \\side_2=\sqrt{676-100} \\side_2=\sqrt{576} \\side_2=24\,\,ft[/tex]
