Multiple choice

Two poles of height 7 metres and 12 metres stand on a plane ground. If the distance between their feet is 12 metres, the distance between their tops will be

  1. 15 metres

  2. 13 metres

  3. 19 metres

  4. 17 metres
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This forms a right triangle where the base is 12 and the height is the difference in pole heights (12 - 7 = 5). The distance between tops is sqrt(12^2 + 5^2) = sqrt(144 + 25) = sqrt(169) = 13.

AI explanation

The difference in height between the two poles is 12 meters minus 7 meters, which equals 5 meters. Applying the Pythagorean theorem to the right triangle formed by the height difference and the distance between the feet gives the distance between the tops squared equals 5 squared plus 12 squared. Calculating this gives 25 plus 144 equals 169, so the distance between the tops is 13 meters.

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