A toddler's playground has two slides on either side. The slide on the left is situated at a 45° angle to the ground and is 52 centimeters away from the base of the playground. The slide on the right is positioned at a 30° angle to the ground and is 98 centimeters away from the playground's base.
What is the total length of both slides on this playground rounded to the nearest tenth of a centimeter? Type the numeric answer only in the box below.

Numerical Answers Expected!

Question

A toddler's playground has two slides on either side. The slide on the left is situated at a 45° angle to the ground and is 52 centimeters away from the base of the playground. The slide on the right is positioned at a 30° angle to the ground and is 98 centimeters away from the playground's base. 
What is the total length of both slides on this playground rounded to the nearest tenth of a centimeter? Type the numeric answer only in the box below. 

Numerical Answers Expected!

anonymous · Answer

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anonymous · Answer

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anonymous · Answer

h= a/(cos theta)

anonymous · Answer

cos 30 = 98/y   and cos 45 = 52/x    solve for x and y.   Add x + y for answer.

anonymous · Answer

find h for both slides and add the values

anonymous · Answer

im sorry but you both just confused me more than i already was

anonymous · Answer

@tcarroll010 can you explain what you mean?

anonymous · Answer

The slide is the hypotenuse.  The flat, horizontal bottom is the measure you are given.  The "bottom" divided by the hypotenuse is the cosine of the angle given.

anonymous · Answer

okay....

anonymous · Answer

so how do i find X and Y?

anonymous · Answer

By the equations I gave you.

anonymous · Answer

cos 30 = 98/y    so   y = 98/cos30

anonymous · Answer

cos 45 = 52/x    so    x = 52/cos45.   Now you have x and y.  Now just add them together.

anonymous · Answer

is it 113.2?

anonymous · Answer

That's for y.  113.20

anonymous · Answer

i keep getting 52sqrt2 for x

anonymous · Answer

That's correct!

anonymous · Answer

then how am i suppose to add them?

anonymous · Answer

You have to get the sqrt of 2 in decimal form and then multiply that by 52.  You should have a sqrt button on your calculator.

anonymous · Answer

does it look like i have a sqrt button?

anonymous · Answer

|dw:1352833095111:dw|Yes, it looks like this:   And to test it, what is the sqrt of 2?

anonymous · Answer

i did it and it said the answer was sqrt2

anonymous · Answer

I don't know how to tell you to enter things on your calculator because I'm not familiar with that model, so 52sqrt(2) = 73.54 = x

anonymous · Answer

i just used my calculator on my computer and it said the answer was 73.32

anonymous · Answer

Maybe you keyed in something wrong, or maybe you truncated the value for sqrt(2), but it is really 73.54.   If you use sqrt(2) = 1.41421356 you will get 73.54

anonymous · Answer

is the answer 186.7?

anonymous · Answer

Yes, you got it!  Good job!

anonymous · Answer

thank youu

anonymous · Answer

You're welcome!