Answer:
8.3 ft
Step-by-step explanation:
Hypotenuse is the longest side
Opposite is the side opposite the angle
Adjacent is the remaining side
Draw the triangle out, and you'll find that the hypotenuse (length of ladder) is 12ft, and that you are looking for the adjacent side (length of the foot of the ladder to the building). Rule out the opposite side (side of building) as it is not needed. The appropriate trigonometric formula is then the [tex]cos(angle) = \frac{adjacent}{hypotenuse}[/tex], rearranged to find the adjacent side is [tex]adjacent = cos(angle)*hypotenuse[/tex]
substitute the values in and you get cos(46) x 12 = 8.335900446
