Multiple choice

Two poles of heights 35 m and 20 m stand on a plane surface. If the distance between their feet is 20 m, what is the distance between their tops?

  1. 50 m

  2. 25 m

  3. 40 m

  4. 55 m

  5. 60 m
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The poles are 35m and 20m. The vertical difference is 35-20 = 15m. The horizontal distance is 20m. The distance between tops is the hypotenuse of a triangle with legs 15 and 20. d = sqrt(15^2 + 20^2) = sqrt(225 + 400) = sqrt(625) = 25m.

AI explanation

The difference in height between the two poles is 35 m minus 20 m, which equals 15 m. The distance between their tops forms the hypotenuse of a right triangle with the 20 m horizontal distance and the 15 m height difference. Applying the Pythagorean theorem gives the distance as the square root of (20 squared + 15 squared), which equals the square root of 625, or 25 m.

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