Problem
(6) Brett needed to repair a window that sat 12 feet high on a house. He has a 15 foot ladder. How far away must he set the ladder from the base of the house for it to reach the window exactly? (A) \( 3 \mathrm{ft} \) (B) \( 5 \mathrm{ft} \) (C) \( 9 \mathrm{ft} \) (D) \( 6 \mathrm{ft} \)
Solution
Step 1 ：Let x be the distance from the base of the house. By the Pythagorean theorem, \( x^2 + 12^2 = 15^2 \).
Step 2 ：\( x^2 + 144 = 225 \)
Step 3 ：\( x^2 = 81 \) and solving for x, we find that x = \( 9 \mathrm{ft} \)
