Question

What are the steps I need to take to solve this question? "A triangle has the base of 17 inches and the other two sides are equal in length. If the lengths of the other 2 are integers, what is the shortest possible length of side A"

Answer 1

Do you mean base are not base?

Answer 2

*area

Answer 3

I wrote the question word for word. It's strange, I know. I dislike how math teachers word things sometimes, but any idea on how to solve this would literally make my day. Sorry about the confusion, but all it says is just "a base of 17 inches." :/

Answer 4

Hmmm I don't know (GAH I hate weirdly worded questions) because it could either mean the side length (which would solve it's own question) or the area of the base but according to this you can't be sure. Wait a sec and I'll look reaaaally hard at the question :P

Answer 5

hint-
in a triangle, sum of any two sides must be larger than the third side

Answer 6

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH

Answer 7

Yeah I just learned this... darn forgot everything I know about it.

Answer 8

haha happens... .
call the third side x,

so

x+x > 17
2x > 17

Answer 9

Revelation-Not ALL of the sides are the same lengths; just two of them. So yeah listen to Ganeshie8 cause I have no idea what I'm saying XD

Answer 10

Now I get it. Hopefully you do too?

Answer 11

THANK YOU! This makes so much more sense. I should be able to solve it from here. You just shed a lot of light on this question! Quick question though. If 2x > 17, would that mean that I divide 17 by 2, and would that get me the integer for each side? Because dividing 17 by 2 wouldn't give me a whole number, and I'm not sure if that's correct. I may have the definition of integer wrong though.

Answer 12

you're right ! it wont give you whole number. 17/2 gives 8.5. So thats the minimum length each of other two sides can have.

but 8.5 is not a whole number, and since question is asking for a whole number, we need to round 8.5 to next whole number. which is 9.

Answer 13

Lol I would've just plugged in every number I could XD I always have to do everything the hard way...

Answer 14

Sorry I couldn't help :P But I tried :D Course then I had to get help from someone else... but still :D

Answer 15

This totally just made a ton more sense! if the sides were both 9 x 9 with a base of 17, the other two sides would add up to be larger than the third side like you said previously. Thanks moonlight and ganeshie for the help, definitely just made my life a lot less complicated! :]

Answer 16

glad to hear that... . :D

Answer 17

:/ lol I still feel bad for getting even more confused then you XD

Answer 18

I'll just shut up now.

Answer 19

Moonlight you're fine! I appreciate the time both of you put in. Thanks again! I'm going to try and finish up this homework hahah. =]