Question

how do i find the value of x to the nearest tenths if "tan 34=x/20"

Answer 1

Solve tan 34=x/20 for x, then punch it up in your calculator.

And welcome to Open Study! :)

Answer 2

how do i solve it

Answer 3

Rearrange it to isolate the x.

Just like if you had, b=x/20 how would you solve that FOR x, eg, rearrange so that you have x=.....?

Answer 4

tan 34=x/20

What do you need to do to both sides, to have x all alone?

Answer 5

im confused would I be able to use a calculator if so what do I type in?

Answer 6

Hold on, one step at a time.

Rearrange the equation, so you have x=......

Answer 7

What if you had the equation:

3=x/20

and you had to solve it for x. what would you do?

Answer 8

multiply???

Answer 9

Right! by what?

Answer 10

Hmmm.... well, you would end up GETTING 60, as your solution for x.

But what did you multiply both sides by, to get that?

Answer 11

3

Answer 12

no. that would not give you x=60.

Answer 13

\[\large 3=\frac{ x }{ 20 }\]
\[\large 20\cdot 3=\frac{ x }{ 20 }\cdot 20\]
\[\large 20\cdot 3=\frac{ x }{ \cancel{20} }\cdot \cancel{20}\]
\[\large 60=x\]

right?

Answer 14

Because x/20 is x DIVIDED BY 20. and you want x alone, so you have to "UNDO" that division. so you undo division, by multiplying.

Answer 15

right

Answer 16

OK, now instead of:

3=x/20

you have:

tan(34) = x/20

so to solve that for x (isolate x) you have to multiply both sides by 20. So you get:

x = ??