Answer:
5 feet
Step-by-step explanation:
The set up will give a right angles triangle with:
length of the ladder as the hypotenuse h = 13 foot
The distance from the base of the house to the top of the ladder is the opposite side (y) = 12 feet
The distance of the base of the ladder from the base of the house wil be the adjacent side (x)
Using the pythagoras theorem to get x:
h² = x²+y²
13² = x²+12²
x² = 13²-12²
x² = 169 -144
x² = 25
x = √25
x = 5 feet
Hence the distance of the base of the ladder from the base of the house is 5 feet long
