Question

What are the values of x and y?

Answer 1

A. x=2 square root 3, y=4
B. x= 8 square root 7, y= 4 square root 21
C. x= 8 square root 3, y= 8 square root 3
D. x= 4 square root 21, y= 8 square root 7

Answer 2

I just did one like this. But that drawing is definitely not to scale or am I looking at wrong?

Answer 3

I'm not sure, it doesn't say "drawing not on scale"

Answer 4

I'd agree with retirEEd: the drawing is not to scale! But that won't stop you from solving it.

Answer 5

Okay, how do I solve it?

Answer 6

i only have until 11 and it's 10;17

Answer 7

Coming up with some ideas of your own might expedite (speed up) the solution.

Answer 8

That's thing, I'm not sure.

Answer 9

My drawing was worse.

Look for THREE triangles that you can apply the Pythagorean theorem to.

Answer 10

I like retirEEd's idea: He recognized that the altitude of the larger triangle is a length common to both triangles. How could you make use of this fact to solve for the unknowns x and y?

Answer 11

I can't think

Answer 12

I believe you could solve this problem using either the Pythagorean Theorem or ratios. Which sounds easier / more familiar to you?

Answer 13

ratios

Answer 14

Then try setting up ratios.

Answer 15

You have 2 unknowns: x and y
therefore you may need two equations to find the values of these two variables.

retirEEd mentioned seeing 3 triangles. So there should be plenty of info to use in finding the sol'n.

Answer 16

Have you learned the right triangle altitude theorem?

Answer 17

I don't think so

Answer 18

@mathstudent55: I couldn't define that Theorem myself, so why not go ahead and share it with us?

Food for thought: there are 3 right triangles in this given illustration. Obviously each right triangle has a hypotenuse. We'll need to decide whether the three triangles are similar or not. If they're similar, the solution of the problem is easier than it would be otherwise.

Answer 19

I only asked in case the material the poster is studying covers this theorem, and this problem is meant to be practice for using the theorem.

Answer 20

can someone explain to me how to set up this problem? I am very lost

Answer 21

The Right Triangle Altitude Theorem
There are two parts to this theorem

In a right triangle, draw the altitude tot eh hypotenuse, then
1) the length of the altitude is the geometric mean of the lengths of segments of the hypotenuse.
2) each leg is the geometric mean of the length of the hypotenuse and the length of the segment of the hypotenuse adjacent to it.