Question

wanna help me with an "easy" question in geometry? (;

Answer 1

1: 2/34
2: 4/119
3: 28
4:52

Answer 2

do you know the Pythagorean theorem?

Answer 3

If not, it's \(a^2 + b^2 = c^2\)

Answer 4

ohh

Answer 5

c being the value of the side opposite of the right angle, in other words, the hypotenuse
which in the case of your problem is x

Answer 6

cosine is not needed in this.

Answer 7

oh :/

Answer 8

no cos involved unless you want to...
but x*x = 20*20 + 48*48

Answer 9

x^2 = 400 + 2304
x^2 = 2704
x = 52

Answer 10

a^2 + b^2 = c^2
a and b are the legs of the triangle
and c is the hypotenuse of the triangle.

Answer 11

cosine is from trigonometry btw.

Answer 12

but you learn about cosine/sin/tan later in geometry

Answer 13

wow these are high numbers.. so a would be like 20 and b is like 48?

Answer 14

in this case you can't use trig functions it because you don't know all the angle values of this triangle, but that it is a right triangle

Answer 15

i see.. i thought this question was kinda like the last one we did.

Answer 16

ohh so would i add the two legs?

Answer 17

a^2 + b^2 = c^2

Answer 18

that's the pythagorean theorem.

Answer 19

2704?

Answer 20

basically it means the legs squared is equal to the hypotenuse squared

Answer 21

and what exactly is the hypotenuse?

Answer 22

like for example
the legs of a triangle are 3 and 4 and the hypotenuse is 5
3^2 + 4^2 = 5^2
9 + 16 = 25

Answer 23

then is my hypotenuse x ?

Answer 24

Yes, and since the Pythagorean theorem states that the hypotenuse squared is equal to x, we just plug it in

Answer 25

and solve for x

Answer 26

meaning x would be 2704?

Answer 27

how does the 90 degrees fit in?

Answer 28

\[48^2 + 20^2 = x^2\]
\[2704 = x^2\]
\[\sqrt{2704}=\sqrt{x^2}\]
\[52 = x\]

Answer 29

you make my life so much easier! that makes sense.. i dint know i had to do the root thing! Thankss sooo much!(: