you want to rescue a kitten stuck in a tree you have a 20 foot ladder and the tree is 18 feet tall how far from the tree should u place the ladder

Using pythagorean theorem. We know the hypotenuse will be 20, c. Either a or b could be 18 is doesn't matter.

18^2+b^2=20^2

324+b^2=400

-324

b^2=76

Square root 76

You should put the later 2 square roots of 19 away. or 8.72 feet away

2sqrt (19)

Step-by-step explanation:

Use the pythagorean theorem, where the ladder's length is the hypotenuse, and the tree and the length between the base of the ladder and the tree are the legs.

20^2 = 18^2 + b^2

400 = 324 + b^2

76 = b^2

2sqrt (19) = b