Problem: A 25 foot ladder is placed against a vertical wall of a building. The foot of the ladder is 7 feet from the base of the building. If the top of the ladder slips 4 feet, then the foot of the ladder will slide:
Answer Choices:
A. ft.
B. ft.
C. ft.
D. ft.
E. ft.
Solution:
Before sliding, the situation is represented by a right triangle with hypotenuse , and horizontal arm , so that the vertical arm is . After sliding, the situation is represented by a right triangle with hypotenuse , and vertical arm , so that the horizontal arm is so that (D) is the correct choice.