Rectangle ABCD: Express (X-Y)² Using Side Lengths and Triangle Area S

Algebraic Expressions with Triangle Area Constraints

Given the rectangle ABCD

AB=Y AD=X

The triangular area DEC equals S:

Express the square of the difference of the sides of the rectangle

using X, Y and S:

YYYXXXAAABBBCCCDDDEEE

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations
00:00 Express the square of the rectangle side differences
00:11 Substitute in the side expressions according to the given data and proceed to open parentheses
00:20 Triangle area expression according to the given data
00:27 Triangle height equals rectangle side X
00:30 Apply the formula for calculating the area of the triangle
00:33 (height x base) divided by 2
00:40 Determine the expression for X
00:46 Determine the expression for Y
00:54 Determine the expression for the product of the sides
01:02 Substitute these expressions into our shortened multiplication formula
01:17 Pay attention to squaring both the numerator and the denominator
01:29 Remove the common factor from the parentheses
01:44 This is the solution

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

Given the rectangle ABCD

AB=Y AD=X

The triangular area DEC equals S:

Express the square of the difference of the sides of the rectangle

using X, Y and S:

YYYXXXAAABBBCCCDDDEEE

2

Step-by-step solution

Since we are given the length and width, we will substitute them according to the formula:

(ADAB)2=(xy)2 (AD-AB)^2=(x-y)^2

x22xy+y2 x^2-2xy+y^2

The height is equal to side AD, meaning both are equal to X

Let's calculate the area of triangle DEC:

S=xy2 S=\frac{xy}{2}

x=2Sy x=\frac{2S}{y}

y=2Sx y=\frac{2S}{x}

xy=2S xy=2S

Let's substitute the given data into the formula above:

(2Sy)22×2S+(25x)2 (\frac{2S}{y})^2-2\times2S+(\frac{25}{x})^2

4S2y24S+4S2x2 \frac{4S^2}{y^2}-4S+\frac{4S^2}{x^2}

4S=(S2y+S2x1) 4S=(\frac{S^2}{y}+\frac{S^2}{x}-1)

3

Final Answer

(xy)2=4s[sy2+sx21] (x-y)^2=4s\lbrack\frac{s}{y^2}+\frac{s}{x^2}-1\rbrack

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Rectangle Properties: Use side lengths X and Y to establish coordinate relationships
  • Triangle Area Formula: Calculate S=12×base×height S = \frac{1}{2} \times base \times height for triangle DEC
  • Verification Method: Substitute back into original expression to confirm (XY)2=4S[SY2+SX21] (X-Y)^2 = 4S[\frac{S}{Y^2}+\frac{S}{X^2}-1]

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Incorrectly calculating triangle DEC area
    Don't assume triangle DEC has area XY2 \frac{XY}{2} = wrong setup! This ignores point E's position on side AB. Always identify the correct base and height: E divides AB, so the triangle's base and height depend on E's specific location.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

Look at the rectangle below.

Side DC has a length of 1.5 cm and side AD has a length of 9.5 cm.

What is the perimeter of the rectangle?

1.51.51.5AAABBBCCCDDD9.5

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

How do I find the area of triangle DEC from the rectangle?

+

Triangle DEC has vertices at D, E, and C. Since E is on side AB, you need to determine E's position first. The area formula is S=12×base×height S = \frac{1}{2} \times base \times height , where the base and height depend on E's coordinates.

Why does the answer involve both X and Y in fractions?

+

The expression (XY)2 (X-Y)^2 expands to X22XY+Y2 X^2 - 2XY + Y^2 . When you substitute the relationships from the triangle area constraint, both X and Y appear in denominator terms because the area S relates to both rectangle dimensions.

What does the constraint 'triangle area DEC equals S' tell us?

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This constraint gives us a relationship between X, Y, and S. It means we can express one variable in terms of the others, like XY=2S XY = 2S , which we then substitute into our target expression.

How do I expand and simplify the final expression?

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Start with (XY)2=X22XY+Y2 (X-Y)^2 = X^2 - 2XY + Y^2 . Use the constraint to substitute XY = 2S, then express X and Y individually using the area relationship to get the final form with S terms.

Can I verify my answer is correct?

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Yes! Substitute specific values that satisfy your constraints (like X=4, Y=2, S=4) into both the original expression (XY)2 (X-Y)^2 and your final answer. Both should give the same numerical result.

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