Answer:
y = 5 ft
Step-by-step explanation:
We are looking for y.
This is a right triangle, so we can use the Pythagorean theorem
a^2 + b^2 = c^2 where a and b are the legs and c is the hypotenuse
a = 12 and b = y c = 13
12^2 + y^2 = 13^2
144 + y^2 =169
Subtract 144 from each side
144-144 +y^2 = 169-144
y^2 = 25
Take the square root of each side
sqrt(y^2) = sqrt(25)
y = 5
