A landscaper is designing a flower garden in the shape of a trapezoid. She wants the length of the shorter base to be 3 yards greater than the height, and the length of the longer base to be 5 yards greater than the height. For what height will the garden have an area of 360 square yards? Round to the nearest tenth of a yard.

Question

anonymous · Answer

if you assume that the height is x;
then the short base is x+3;;
and the long base is x+5;

anonymous · Answer

|dw:1419234356565:dw|

anonymous · Answer

the area of trapezoid is ( short base + long base) *hieght /2
= (x+3 + x+5)*x/2 = 360;

anonymous · Answer

$$x^2 + 4x -360 ;$$

anonymous · Answer

to find root of the equation you have to use $$x1 = (-b +\sqrt{b^2 -4ac})/2   $$ $$x2 = (-b -\sqrt{b^2 -4ac})/2   $$

anonymous · Answer

b= 4 and c= -360 and a= 1;
after substitue in the formula you will get 
x1 = 17.075 after rounding you will get 17.1- this the answer
x2 = -21.075 ( but the height is nutral number !!!!) this is not a solution

the answer is 17.1