A 5m long crossbar with its ends rests on two vertical pillars with a height of 3m and 6m

A 5m long crossbar with its ends rests on two vertical pillars with a height of 3m and 6m, what is the distance between the bases of the pillars.

Let us mentally draw a line that connects the top of the smaller pillar and the larger pillar, parallel to another straight line that connects the bases of the vertical pillars (note to ourselves that these 2 segments will be equal).

Thus, we get a right-angled triangle, where the crossbar will be the hypotenuse.

Let’s determine what the leg will be equal to, the length of which is the difference between the heights of the posts:

6 – 3 = 3.

Now let’s find out what the second leg, which we need, will be equal to:

√ (5 ^ 2 – 3 ^ 2) = 4.

Answer: 4 m.