Multiple choice

The distance between two buildings is $24\ m$. The heights of the buildings are $12\ m$ and $22\ m$. Find the distance between the tops (in $m$)

  1. $20$
  2. $26$
  3. $30$
  4. $32$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The horizontal distance between the tops is 24m. The vertical difference is 22 - 12 = 10m. The distance between the tops is sqrt(24^2 + 10^2) = sqrt(576 + 100) = sqrt(676) = 26m.

AI explanation

The difference in height between the two buildings is 22 m minus 12 m, which equals 10 m. This height difference and the horizontal distance of 24 m form the two legs of a right triangle with the distance between the tops as the hypotenuse. Using the Pythagorean theorem, the distance squared equals 10 squared plus 24 squared, which is 100 plus 576, giving 676. Taking the square root of 676 gives 26. The result is 26.

Keep practicing — related questions