Multiple choice

A ladder '$x$' meters long is laid against a wall making an angle '$\theta$' with the ground. If we want to directly find the distance between the foot of the ladder and the foot of the wall, which trignometrical ratio should be considered?

  1. $\sin { \theta } $
  2. $\cos { \theta } $
  3. $\tan { \theta } $
  4. $\cot { \theta } $
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

In a right-angled triangle formed by the ladder, wall, and ground, the distance between the foot of the ladder and the wall is the adjacent side to angle theta, and the ladder is the hypotenuse. The ratio of adjacent/hypotenuse is cos(theta).

AI explanation

The scenario forms a right triangle with the ladder as the hypotenuse, the wall as the opposite side, and the ground as the adjacent side to the given angle. To find the distance between the foot of the ladder and the wall, we must use the trigonometric ratio that relates the adjacent side to the hypotenuse. By definition, the cosine of an angle equals the adjacent side divided by the hypotenuse. Therefore, the cosine of theta should be considered.

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