A ladder is used to reach the top of a building 16 ft tall. What distance should the bottom of the ladder be placed from the side of the building?

• A. 2 feet (1/8 the height)
• B. 4 feet (1/4 the height)
• C. 8 feet (1/2 the height)
• D. 16 feet (equal to height)

Answer: (B)

Leaning a ladder safely is all about angle. A common safety rule is to place the base one unit away from the wall for every four units of height you’re reaching. That keeps the ladder at about a 75-degree angle, which gives good stability and reduces the risk of slipping.

For a building 16 feet tall, that means the bottom should be 4 feet from the side of the building. Quick check: the ladder length would be roughly sqrt(16^2 + 4^2) ≈ 16.5 feet, so a ladder a bit longer than 16 feet works well. Placing the base much closer would make the ladder too steep and harder to balance; placing it farther away would make it too shallow and easier to slip.