When setting a ladder up against a wall using a "4-to-1" ratio, you need to ensure that for every 1 foot of the ladder’s height, the base of the ladder should be positioned 4 feet away from the wall. This ratio is commonly used for safety reasons to make sure the ladder is stable and has the proper angle.
Given this, if you have a ladder that is, for example, 16 feet tall, you would position its feet 4 feet away from the wall for each of the 16 feet.
Here is the step-by-step reasoning:
1. Understand the Ratio: The "4-to-1" ratio means that for every 1 foot of vertical height (height the ladder reaches on the wall), the base of the ladder (the distance from the wall to the ladder’s feet) should be 4 feet.
2. Calculate the Base Distance: For every 1 foot of height, the ladder’s base should be 4 feet away from the wall.
Thus, the statement:
When using the "4-to-1" ratio in setting a ladder up against a wall, you should position its feet about 4 feet away from the wall for every 1 foot of working ladder height.
is True.
