Math Problem Statement

kevin is building a ramp from the ground to the top of a brick verandah 0.6m off the ground, kevin is using a plank of wood that is 2.5 metre long how far away from the base of teh verandah will the plank of wood sit, correct to wto decimal places? is it 2.43 metres?

Solution

This problem involves a right-angled triangle where:

  • The height of the verandah is 0.6 meters (one side of the triangle).
  • The plank of wood is 2.5 meters long (the hypotenuse of the triangle).
  • The distance from the base of the verandah to the end of the plank is the horizontal distance (the unknown side we need to calculate).

We can use the Pythagorean theorem to solve for the horizontal distance xx, where:

x2+0.62=2.52x^2 + 0.6^2 = 2.5^2

Now let's solve this:

x2+0.36=6.25x^2 + 0.36 = 6.25

x2=6.250.36=5.89x^2 = 6.25 - 0.36 = 5.89

x=5.892.43metersx = \sqrt{5.89} \approx 2.43 \, \text{meters}

Yes, you are correct! The distance from the base of the verandah to the end of the plank is approximately 2.43 meters.

Would you like further details or have any questions?

Here are 5 related questions to expand on this:

  1. What would happen to the horizontal distance if the plank length increased to 3 meters?
  2. How would the calculation change if the verandah were only 0.5 meters high?
  3. What is the slope of the ramp in degrees?
  4. How would the problem change if Kevin decided to use a shorter plank?
  5. Can we use trigonometric ratios to solve this problem instead of the Pythagorean theorem?

Tip: The Pythagorean theorem is very useful for right-angled triangle problems involving distances!

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Geometry
Right-angled Triangles
Pythagorean Theorem

Formulas

Pythagorean theorem: a^2 + b^2 = c^2

Theorems

Pythagorean Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 6-8