Can you do this problem without the Pythagorean Theron??

Question

anonymous · Answer

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anonymous · Answer

@jim_thompson5910  this one... remember??

jim_thompson5910 · Answer

oh right, I remember now

anonymous · Answer

lol ok so my question is if you can do this without the pythagorean theron??

jim_thompson5910 · Answer

hmm not that I can see, but I'll have to think about it

did your teacher tell you not to use the pythagorean theorem?

anonymous · Answer

Yess... its only 9th grade geometry, but he said that he would have to think about about it... @Hero  yes...

anonymous · Answer

yeah, i dont either... in my book, there are hints, but idk if they are useful, but ill post them...just give me a sec.

mertsj · Answer

The three triangles are all similar.  Have you had the theorems about the altitude being the geometric mean or the leg being the geometric mean?

anonymous · Answer

yea, sry @Mertsj  i have no clue what you are talking about...all my paper says is find X and Y

anonymous · Answer

The area of the triangle can be calculated in three different ways, but each should give the same area: 1/2(5)y= 1/2(15)x= 1/2(6)(9)...@Hero @jim_thompson5910 @Mertsj this is the hint that the book gave us...

mertsj · Answer

So therefore, you can find x and y because you know that 1/2(5)y=27 and 1/2(15)x=27.

mertsj · Answer

The problem is trying to teach you that any one of the three sides of a triangle can be used as the base for the purpose of finding the area of the triangle.

anonymous · Answer

so how does that help me find x and y?? @Mertsj

mertsj · Answer

1/2(5)y=27

Can you solve that equation?

mertsj · Answer

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