Math Problem Statement

A ladder is set against a wall at an angle 45° to the ground. if the foot of the ladder is pulled away from the wall through a distance of 4m its top slides a distance of 3m down the wall making an angle of 30° with the ground. Find the final height of the top of the ladder from the ground and length of the ladder.

Solution

Let's break down the problem step by step:

Step 1: Initial Setup

We are given a ladder initially set at an angle of 45° with the ground.

Let:

  • LL be the length of the ladder.
  • The initial position of the top of the ladder is at a height h1h_1 from the ground, and the foot of the ladder is x1x_1 meters away from the wall.

We can use trigonometry in this initial configuration:

  1. Since the angle with the ground is 45°, we know that in a right triangle formed by the ladder, the wall, and the ground:
    • The height from the ground is h1=Lsin(45)=L2h_1 = L \sin(45^\circ) = \frac{L}{\sqrt{2}}.
    • The horizontal distance from the wall is x1=Lcos(45)=L2x_1 = L \cos(45^\circ) = \frac{L}{\sqrt{2}}.

Step 2: After the Ladder is Pulled Away

The foot of the ladder is pulled away from the wall by 4 meters, and the top slides down by 3 meters. The new position of the ladder forms an angle of 30° with the ground.

Let:

  • The final height of the top of the ladder from the ground be h2h_2.
  • The new distance from the wall is x2=x1+4x_2 = x_1 + 4 meters.
  • The length of the ladder remains LL, and we can again apply trigonometry:
    • h2=Lsin(30)=L2h_2 = L \sin(30^\circ) = \frac{L}{2}.
    • x2=Lcos(30)=32Lx_2 = L \cos(30^\circ) = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} L.

Step 3: Relating the Initial and Final Positions

The total horizontal distance between the initial and final positions is 4 meters, so: x2x1=4x_2 - x_1 = 4 This gives us the equation: 32L12L=4\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} L - \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} L = 4

We can now solve for LL, the length of the ladder.

Step 4: Solving for LL

Simplifying the equation: (3212)L=4\left( \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} - \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} \right) L = 4

First, we find a common denominator: 32=32,12=22\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}, \quad \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} = \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}

So the equation becomes: (322)L=4\left( \frac{\sqrt{3} - \sqrt{2}}{2} \right) L = 4

Now, solving for LL: L=4×232=832L = \frac{4 \times 2}{\sqrt{3} - \sqrt{2}} = \frac{8}{\sqrt{3} - \sqrt{2}}

We simplify the expression for LL, using approximate values for 3\sqrt{3} and 2\sqrt{2}: L81.7321.414=80.31825.16 metersL \approx \frac{8}{1.732 - 1.414} = \frac{8}{0.318} \approx 25.16 \text{ meters}

Step 5: Final Height of the Top of the Ladder

Now that we have LL, we can calculate h2h_2, the final height of the top of the ladder: h2=L2=25.16212.58 metersh_2 = \frac{L}{2} = \frac{25.16}{2} \approx 12.58 \text{ meters}

Final Answer:

  • The final height of the top of the ladder from the ground is approximately 12.5812.58 meters.
  • The length of the ladder is approximately 25.1625.16 meters.

Would you like further clarification on any part of the solution or have any other questions? Here are some related questions you might find interesting:

  1. How would the final height change if the angle was different?
  2. What if the ladder had initially been placed at a steeper angle than 45°?
  3. How could you verify the ladder's length using Pythagoras' theorem in both positions?
  4. What would happen if the ladder's foot was pulled away by a different distance?
  5. How does the concept of trigonometric identities help solve real-life problems like this?

Tip: When dealing with angles and distances in real-world applications like this, it's always helpful to break the problem into smaller, solvable triangles and use trigonometric functions to find missing values.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Trigonometry
Right-Angle Triangles
Pythagoras' Theorem

Formulas

h = L * sin(θ)
x = L * cos(θ)
x2 - x1 = 4

Theorems

Trigonometric Identities
Pythagorean Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 9-11