The figure below shows a bamboo support made to hold bean plants.

What is the distance between the points X and Z of the support? Show all the steps you used to find your answer.

Question

The figure below shows a bamboo support made to hold bean plants.
 

 
What is the distance between the points X and Z of the support? Show all the steps you used to find your answer.

anonymous · Answer

attachment

anonymous · Answer

8/10 = 10/D, where D is the distance from X to Z.

just use ratios of similar triangles...

anonymous · Answer

anytime the altitude is drawn from the right angle to the hypotenuse, it creates two similar triangles.  also, they're similar to the original triangle...:)

anonymous · Answer

solve for D to get the distance from X to Z.

anonymous · Answer

12? i dont really understand that ratio.. lol

anonymous · Answer

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just cross multiply to get a similar equation without the fractions...:)