solve for x

Question

a 30ft ladder leans against a building if cos B=0.2 what does x equal

the building is 3storys tall, which would be 36ft is it

A.2ft

B.4ft

C.6ft

or D. 8ft

Answer 1

Hi Zak,

Without a diagram, I am assuming "B" is the angle that the ladder makes with the ground, and "x" is the distance from the base of the ladder to the building.

cos B = x/30 = .2

so x = 30*.2 = 6

The height of the building is extraneous information, because we know that a 30 foot ladder can't reach the top of a building that is more than 30 feet high.