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Problem
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This week's problem came out of a suggestion by David Schultz of Mesa Community College. A ladder is leaning against the wall. See the figure on the left. The ladder starts to slip, with the foot of the ladder sliding away from the wall along the ground. At the same time that the ladder starts to move, a can of spray paint starts to spray, leaving a streak on an adjacent wall. If the can of paint is a feet from the top and b feet from the bottom of the ladder, what is the equation of the graph sprayed onto the wall by the can? (Put the axes as shown on the sketch, with the origin at the intersection of the wall and the floor.) You are visitor number 3394
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