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cynturee
Mar 13, 2008, 01:26 PM
If the base of an isosceles triangle is 10 and the height is 12, how would I find the perimeter?

iamthetman
Mar 13, 2008, 01:40 PM
Are you familiar with the formula a^2+b^2=c^2?

Try drawing a vertical line through the triangle and then use the formula I mentioned above.

cynturee
Mar 13, 2008, 01:52 PM
Are you familiar with the formula a^2+b^2=c^2?

Try drawing a vertical line through the triangle and then use the formula I mentioned above.
Thank you, but after I draw a line, what would the a, b and c stand for? Would a be the base, b height and c perimeter?

iamthetman
Mar 13, 2008, 01:55 PM
Well after drawing the line you have two triangles.

First focus on the triangle on the left. What's the length of the bottom side of that triangle?
What's the length of the right side of that triangle?

The formula says that the length of the unknown side (opposite the right angle) is c. The value for c can be found by solving the equation a^2 + b^2 = c^2 where a is the bottom side of the triangle and b is the right side of the triangle.

cynturee
Mar 13, 2008, 01:59 PM
Well after drawing the line you have two triangles.

First focus on the triangle on the left. What's the length of the bottom side of that triangle?
What's the length of the right side of that triangle?

The formula says that the length of the unknown side (opposite the right angle) is c. The value for c can be found by solving the equation a^2 + b^2 = c^2 where a is the bottom side of the triangle and b is the right side of the triangle.
Okay, thanks. I get it now.

dflfdlgjhdf
Mar 17, 2008, 02:13 AM
In order to fing the solution to this problem, you have to be familiar with Pythagoras's Rule.