The Hidden Triangle

A ladder is leaning against a wall. Drag the labels to build the math model, then solve for the missing height.

Wall leg
Ground leg
Hypotenuse

Model Built! Now solve for

m

Coordinate Distance

Find the distance between points A and B. Drag the blue point to form a right triangle.

Triangle formed! Calculate lengths:

Now use to find the distance .

The Distance Formula

Use the sliders to match the horizontal and vertical distances between the points.

Connect the path to point B to unlock the equation!

Brilliant!

You've mastered finding right triangles in the real world and using the Pythagorean theorem to calculate distances!