A 26-foot ladder is placed against a house and reaches the 24-foot roof. If you want to find the distance between the base of the ladder and the base of the house, which of the following triangles could you use to model the problem?

x = 10 ft

Step-by-step explanation: INCOMPLETE QUESTION (WE DON´T HAVE IMAGENS OF TRIANGLE TO CHOOSE FROM)

A triangle is a three sides poligon, and in fact we  have quite a big number of different shapes. All we need is that three differents segments of lines  ( AB , AC, BC ) cut each other by pairs, to get a triangle

When a triangle has a right angle, that means when two of the segmets that form the triangle are perpendicular, we have a right triangle.

In our case the wall of the house and the ground form a right angle therefore we are in presence of a right triangle.

In a right triangle the opposite side to the 90⁰ angle is call hypotenuse, and the other two sides legs, there is a very important relation between the sides known as Pytagoras Theorem, in terms of equation that theorem establishes:

c²  =  a²  +  b²   where c is the hypotenuse and  a   and   b the legs, according to that any question about dimensions could be solve if we know two of the parameter of the triangle, in this particular case the question should be "to find the length of the third side.

The opposite side to the ∠90⁰ is the ladder ( 26 ft ) and the top point in the wall is 24 ft from the ground so we can compute the other leg ( side between the wall and the bottom of the ladder)

(26)²  =  (24)²  +  x²

x²   =  (26)²  -   (24)²    ⇒   x  =  √ (26)² - (24)²      x  =  √ 676 - 576   ft

x  = √100  ft

x  =  10  ft

To solve this type of problem

1.-Look for a right triangle

2.-Identify  the hypotenuse

3.-Apply Pytagoras theorem