During a Pre-technical studies practicals, a learner used a ladder to access the ceiling of their class. The ladder touched the wall at a height of 2 metres. If the ladder was placed 1.5 m from the foot of the wall, how long was the ladder?

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We are given a right-angled triangle situation:

The height of the wall where the ladder touches is 2 metres (vertical side),

The distance from the wall to the base of the ladder is 1.5 metres (horizontal side),

The length of the ladder is the hypotenuse of the triangle.

Use Pythagoras’ Theorem:

a² + b² = c²

2² + 1.5² = c²

4 + 2.25 = c²

c²  = 6.25

c = √6.25

c = 2.5 metres

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