Find Side Length AC in Parallelogram: Using Perimeter = 20 and AB = 5

Question

A parallelogram is shown below.

AB = 5

AC = 2X

The perimeter of the parallelogram is 20.

AAABBBDDDCCC52X

Calculate the length of side AC.

Video Solution

Solution Steps

00:00 Find AC
00:03 Opposite sides are equal in parallelograms
00:11 They are also a pair of opposite sides therefore equal
00:22 The perimeter of the parallelogram equals the sum of its sides
00:37 Let's substitute appropriate values and solve for X
00:51 Let's isolate X
01:01 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-Step Solution

To solve this problem, we'll follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Use the formula for the perimeter of a parallelogram.
  • Step 2: Set up the equation using the given information.
  • Step 3: Solve for XX and find the length of AC.

Now, let's work through each step:
Step 1: Recall that the perimeter of a parallelogram is given by the formula P=2(a+b)P = 2(a + b), where aa and bb are the lengths of adjacent sides.
Step 2: In our parallelogram, opposite sides are equal. Therefore, the perimeter formula can be expressed as: P=2(AB+AC)=20 P = 2(AB + AC) = 20 Substituting the given lengths: 2(5+2X)=20 2(5 + 2X) = 20
Step 3: Simplify the equation: 2×(5+2X)=2010+4X=204X=10X=2.5 2 \times (5 + 2X) = 20 \\ 10 + 4X = 20 \\ 4X = 10 \\ X = 2.5 Now, substitute back to find the length of side AC: AC=2X=2×2.5=5 AC = 2X = 2 \times 2.5 = 5

Therefore, the length of side AC is 5\bold{5}.

The correct choice from the given options is 3\bold{3}: 5\bold{5}.

Answer

5