An underground cable runs straight from the base of a telephone pole to a point on…
MATHEMATICS · Multi-part · GCSE · Mathematics · Geometry and Measures · Geometry and Measures
Problem
An underground cable runs straight from the base of a telephone pole to a point on the ground 12 m away from the pole. The cable then climbs vertically up the pole and is fastened to a transformer box located 5 m below the top of the pole. The total length of the cable is 20 m.
(a) Calculate the height above the ground at which the cable meets the pole (the position of the transformer box).
(b) Hence determine the total height of the telephone pole.