Question

Two poles of height 9m and 14m stand on a plane ground. If the distance between their 12m, find the distance between their tops.

Answer 1

Let AB and CD be the two poles of height 14m and 9m respectively.
It is given that BD = 12m
∴ CE = 12m
Now,
AE = AB - BE
= 14m - 9m = 5m
Using Pythagoras theorem in ΔACE,
AC² = AE² + CE²
= (5m)² + (12m)²
= 25m² = 144m²
= 169m²
= 13m²
⇒ AC = 13m
Thus, the distance between the tops of the poles is 13m.