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-   -   Isos Triangle with sides 10,10, and 8. Find length of altitude to a long side. (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=452183)

  • Feb 27, 2010, 12:00 AM
    saleenguy10
    Isos Triangle with sides 10,10, and 8. Find length of altitude to a long side.
    So there's an altitude going from the vertex adjacent to the side 8cm long to a side measuring 90 degrees.

    The altitude creates 2 right triangles within and so they share one side.
    Here's a image I drew up in paint to help show the problem.

    http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/2083/isos.png

    I'm trying to figure out what "y" is but I figure I'd need "x" to do it. I set up 2 equations using Pythagoras theorem.

    10^2=(10-x)^2+Y^2 and 8^2=Y^2+X^2.

    Solving it left me with -64=20x. It being a negative probably means I'm wrong. I've checked it over and didn't find mistakes so maybe I'm just approaching it wrong.
  • Feb 27, 2010, 01:11 AM
    ROLCAM

    4^2 +x^2 = 10^2

    16 + x^2 = 100

    x^2 = 100 - 16

    x^2 = 84

    x = sq root of 84

    x = 9.165 approx.
  • Feb 27, 2010, 08:09 AM
    Unknown008

    http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/2083/isos.png

    Let's do it again.

    ... a

    ... b

    Expand the first equation.



    ... c

    Subtract b from c.



    This gives

    Can you find the rest now? :)

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