The area of triangle ABC is equal to 2X+16 cm².
Work out the value of X.
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The area of triangle ABC is equal to 2X+16 cm².
Work out the value of X.
The area of triangle ABC is equal to:
As we are given the area of the triangle, we can insert this data into BC in the formula:
We then multiply by 2 to eliminate the denominator:
Divide by:
We rewrite the numerator of the fraction:
We simplify to X + 8 and obtain the following:
We now focus on triangle ADC and by use of the Pythagorean theorem we should find X:
Inserting the existing data:
2 cm
Angle A is equal to 30°.
Angle B is equal to 60°.
Angle C is equal to 90°.
Can these angles form a triangle?
In this triangle, AD is perpendicular to BC (shown by the right angle symbol), making AD the height and BC the base. Always look for perpendicular lines to identify height!
After finding AD = 4, we use the right triangle ADC to find x. Since we know AD = 4, DC = x+5, and AC = , Pythagorean theorem helps us solve for x.
Check your arithmetic! In geometry problems, lengths are always positive. If you get negative values, review your algebraic steps or check if you set up the equation correctly.
No! You need AD (the height) to use the area formula. The key insight is recognizing that the area equation helps you find this missing height value.
Substitute back: Area = . Also check: ✓
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