A 25-ft rope is stretched from the top of a ship's mast to a cleat on the deck. If the cleat is 16 ft from the base of the mast, how tall is the mast?

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Answer 1 · 2018-05-18T00:26:03

#19.21# feet

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#c=25#

#a=16#

#b=?#

Pythagoras' formula:

#c^2=a^2+b^2#

#25^2=16^2+b^2#

#b^2=25^2-16^2=625-256=369#

#b=sqrt369=19.21# feet