Can anyone help with this problem?

[ravenmills]

Two iron wrecking balls with a height of 5 feet each are hanging straight down on ropes one 12 feet long and the other 8 feet long. The balls are 28 feet apart. If they are swung to meet, what will the angle theta be between them in the resulting triangle.

 

[mmm4444bot]

Two iron wrecking balls with a height of 5 feet each…

Hello ravenmills. The balls each have a diameter of 5 feet, correct?

… hanging straight down on ropes one 12 feet long and … 8 feet long.

And the upper-ends of the ropes are fastened at the same vertical height, yes?

The balls are 28 feet apart.

That's the distance between the balls' closest surfaces (while hanging at rest) measured along a diagonal line passing through their centers; is that your interpretation?

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[ravenmills]

Hello ravenmills. The balls each have a diameter of 5 feet, correct?


And the upper-ends of the ropes are fastened at the same vertical height, yes?


That's the distance between the balls' closest surfaces (while hanging at rest) measured along a diagonal line passing through their centers; is that your interpretation?

Yes, that's correct

This is my Trig homework, and I don't think I was looking at the problem in the right way, but did get an answer. Would love to be to know what others got as well

 

[Deleted member 4993]

This is my Trig homework, and I don't think I was looking at the problem in the right way, but did get an answer. Would love to be to know what others got as well

Please share your work - in detail. One of the tutors here will be able to correct your work (if needed).

 

[Dr.Peterson]

This is my Trig homework, and I don't think I was looking at the problem in the right way, but did get an answer. Would love to be to know what others got as well

The least I'd like to see from you is the picture you drew (or were given?), in part to confirm your interpretation of several details. It will be fairly straightforward to find the distance between the upper ends of the ropes; but it is not quite clear yet what positions the balls will be in when they "meet", though we might assume they are supposed to be at the same height and touching.

 

[Steven G]

Would love to be to know what others got as well

It doesn't work that way on this forum. You show your work and the tutors will give you hints in case you make a mistake. Helpers never give any answers on this forum.