Plzzzzzz help me with this math problem...?

this problem is based on pythagorean theorem.. which i don't get at all... :(



1. Gulido Palumbo is a Venetian gonodolier. Gulido needs to know how deep it is in front of his pier. he notices a water lily sticking straight up from the water with the blossom 18 cm above the surface. Gulido then pulls the lily to one side, keepin the stem straight, untill the blossom touches the water at spot 36 cm from where the stem first broke the surface. from this data, Gulido is able to calculate the depth of the water.



a. what is the depth of the water?



b. if the lily was only 12 cm from the water when sticking straight up and the depth of the water has not changed, what would tbe the distance when Gulido pulls the lily untill the blossom touches the water?

Plzzzzzz help me with this math problem...?
Hi,



a) If the vertical height of the flower under water was x cm, then its length diagonally was x + 18 cm. Since that was 36 cm from its original position, the equation that is formed is:



x2 + 362 = (x + 18)2

x2 + 1296 = x2 + 36x + 324

972 = 36x

27 = x This means the depth of the water is 27 cm.



b) x2 + b2 = (x + 12)2

272 + b2 = (27 + 12)2

729 + b2 = 1521

b2 = 792

b = 28.14 cm This means it would be 28.14 cm across the water.



I hope that helps!! :-)
Reply:36sqrt(3) + 18Sqrt(3)= 54sqrt(3) cm



24 cm [this makes a 30-60-90 triangle]
Reply:pythagorean theorem: a^2 + b^2 = c^2

it only works for right triangles. if you have the measurements of any two sides, you can find the length of the other side. c is the hypotenuse. a and b are the other two sides.