Question

45) A fence 6 feet tall runs parallel to a tall building at a distance of 2 ft from the building

We wish to find the length of the shortest ladder that will reach from the ground over the fence to the wall of the building.

[A] First, find a formula for the length of the ladder in terms of θ. (Hint: split the ladder into 2 parts.)
Type theta for θ.

L(θ)=  

[B] Now, find the derivative, L'(θ)
Type theta for θ

L'(θ)=

[C] Once you find the value of θθ that makes L'(θ)=0 substitute that into your original function to find the length of the shortest ladder. (Give your answer accurate to 5 decimal places.)

L(θmin)≈

Answer 1