Answer:
C) 4.0 ft
Step-by-step explanation:
We will use the Pythagorean theorem to solve this. It states that the sum of the squares of the legs of a right triangle is equal to the square of the hypotenuse; algebraically,
a²+b² = c²
The height splits the base in two, giving us a leg of 3. The hypotenuse is 5. This gives us:
3²+b² = 5²
9+b² = 25
Subtract 9 from each side:
9+b²-9 = 25-9
b² = 16
Take the square root of each side:
√b² = √16 = 4
