Two poles of heights 15m and 30m are standing on the ground. If the distance between their tops is 39m, find the distance between their feet?
Hi!
The given information can be represented using a figure as
Here, AB and CD are the poles of height 15 m and 30 m respectively and AC = 39 m.
DM = AB = 15 cm
∴CM = CD – MD = 30 m – 15 m = 15 m
Using Pythagoras Theorem in DAMC;
AM2 + CM2 = AC2
⇒ AM2 + (15 m)2 = (39 m)2
Thus, the distance between the feet of the poles is 36 m.