Question

I want to build a right triangular deck behind my house. The hypotenuse of the deck will be 25 feet long. The other two sides of the deck will be equal in length. What is the length of the deck?

Answer 1

why

Answer 2

haha

Answer 3

Well anyway back to mathematics

Answer 4

so how do i find the length

Answer 5

use something called the pythagoreans theorem.

Answer 6

2x^2 = 25^2

Answer 7

solve for x

Answer 8

if a and b represent the lengths of the legs (shorter sides) of a right triangle, and c represents the length of the hypo, then\[a^2 +b^2=c^2.\]

Answer 9

i got 12.5 but thts not ann option

Answer 10

this is the Pythagorean Theorem. If the 2 shorter sides of the triangle are equal, then a=b, and \[a^2+a^2=c^2.\] simplifiy this.
Please show your work if you want feedback on it.

Answer 11

woah if we even talk about it, it gets deleted 0O0

Answer 12

Hint: c=25 feet. Yes, jokes that have no bearing on the solution of the problem at hand do get deleted, or the posters get warned. Let's focus on the problem solving, please.

Answer 13

ik that c is 25 and c squared is 625 but how does that help if i dont have an a or b

Answer 14

idk how to find a or b

Answer 15

"the other two sides of the deck will be equal in length" Which means a = b

Answer 16

The whole point is to determine the length of one of the 2 shorter sides. Since these sides are the same length, finding a means you've also found b.

Answer 17

this is a problem in algebra, where a and b represent unknowns.

\[a^2+b^2=c^2\] but here a = b, and therefore,

Answer 18

\[2a^2=625\]

Answer 19

Solve this for a.

Answer 20

Most algebra problems involve "solving for an unknown quantity."

Answer 21

i still got 12.5

Answer 22

but its not an option

Answer 23

Would you please share your work? I can tell little or nothing if you only say, "I still got 12.5." How did you get 12.5?

Answer 24

\[2a^2=625\] must be solved for a^2 first, and then for a.

Divide both sides of the equation by 2, to obtain an expression for a^2.