Problem
Harrison has a rectangular plank of wood that is 29 inches long. He creates a ramp by resting the plank against a wall with a height of 14 inches, as shown. Using Pythagoras' theorem, work out the horizontal distance between the wall and the bottom of the ramp. Give your answer in inches to 1 d.p.
Solution
Step 1 ：Use Pythagorean theorem: \(29^2 = 14^2 + x^2\)
Step 2 ：Solve for x: \(x = \sqrt{29^2 - 14^2}\)
Step 3 ：Calculate x: \(x = 25.39685019840059\)
Step 4 ：Round x to 1 decimal place: \(x = 25.4\)
Step 5 ：\(\boxed{25.4}\)
