Thread: Special Triangles

Find the value of x in these special triangles. Please help.

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Originally Posted by pow3r2dapplz

Find the value of x in these special triangles. Please help.

for the first question:

we will use trig ratios to do this:

for the left triangle:

cos(45) = adj/hyp = 4/x

=> sqrt(2)/2 = 4/x
=> 4/(sqrt(2)/2) = x
=> x = 8/sqrt(2) = 4sqrt(2)

for the triangle on the right:

cos(60) = adj/hyp = 5/x
=> 1/2 = 5/x
=> x = 10

Originally Posted by pow3r2dapplz

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for the second question:

same idea:

for the triangle on the left:

sin(45) = opp/hyp = x/14
=> sqrt(2)/2 = x/14
=> x = 7sqrt(2)

for the one on the right, we use Pythagoras' theorem

x^2 = 12^2 - 6^2 = 144 - 36 = 108
=> x = sqrt(108)