pythagoream thereom

Question

A tree is supported by a wire anchored in the ground 9 feet from its base. The wire is 4 feet longer than the height that it reaches on the tree. Find the length of the wire

Answer 1

DRAW THE GEOMETRIC FIGURE!!

Kou will have a right triangle; horizontal leg measure 9 ft, tree measure x ft, wire (hypotenuse) is x+4 ft.

 

Now use the Pythagorean theorem.  You will get a quadratic equation but when you simplify it, it will just be a linear equation, easy to solve without factoring or using the quadratic formula.

 

Remember (x+4) squared is x² + 8x + 16.