1. **State the problem:** A fireman leans a 36-foot ladder against a building, placing the base 7 feet from the building. We need to find the angle $\theta$ between the ladder and the ground. 2. **Identify the right triangle:** The ladder is the hypotenuse ($36$ ft), the distance from the building is the adjacent side ($7$ ft), and the angle $\theta$ is between the ladder and the ground. 3. **Use the cosine formula:** $$\cos(\theta) = \frac{\text{adjacent}}{\text{hypotenuse}} = \frac{7}{36}$$ 4. **Calculate $\theta$:** $$\theta = \cos^{-1}\left(\frac{7}{36}\right)$$ 5. **Evaluate the value:** $$\theta = \cos^{-1}(0.1944)$$ 6. **Use a calculator:** $$\theta \approx 78.8^\circ$$ 7. **Answer:** The angle formed between the ladder and the ground is approximately **78.8°**.