A40 ft ladder leans against a building so that the top of the ladder touches the building at a point 21 ft above the ground. to the nearest tenth of a foot, how far from the bottom of the building is the bottom of the ladder?

34.04 feet

Step-by-step explanation:

   We are given that :

A 40 ft ladder leans against a building so that the top of the ladder touches the building at a point 21 ft above the ground.

This can be represented by the figure attached

We have to find the value of x

Clearly it is a right angle triangle with base x, perpendicular 21 feet and hypotenuse 40 feet.

⇒        x²  + 21²=40²

⇒    x²= 1159

⇒      x= 34.04

Hence, the bottom of the building is 34.04 feet away the bottom of the ladder.