Answer:
12 ft
Step-by-step explanation:
John puts the base of a 13 foot ladder 5 feet from the wall of the house
We are required to find the how far up the wall the ladder is
This problem can be solved by applying Pythagorean theory
a^2 + b^2= c^2
The base(b) is 5 ft
The hypothenus (c) is 13 ft
The height (a) is not given
Therefore applying the Pythagorean theory the height of the wall can be calculated as follows
a^2 + 5^2= 13^2
a^2 + 25= 169
a^2= 169 -25
a^2= 144
a= 12
Hence the height of the wall is 12 ft
