SOLUTION: The parallelogram has a height that is 2 inches less than the length of its base, and area is 180cm squared. Find the height of the parallelogram. please help.

Question 287128: The parallelogram has a height that is 2 inches less than the length of its base, and area is 180cm squared. Find the height of the parallelogram.
please help.
Answer by nyc_function(2741) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Area of parallelogram is given by A = base times height.
Let x = base
Let x - 2 = length
Let A = 180
180 = x(x - 2)
180 = x^2 - 2x
0 = x^2 - 2x - 180
We use quadratic formula at this point.
x = 2 � sqrt{4 - 4(1)(-180)}/2
x = 2 � sqrt{724}/2
x = 2 � sqrt{4}*sqrt{181}/2
x = 2 � 2 * sqrt{181}/2
x = 1 � sqrt{181}
Since we are looking for length and length is positive measure, we reject
1 - sqrt{181} as a possible answer for x.
The height = x - 2.
I just found x to be 1 � sqrt{181}
So, the length is 1 + sqrt{181} - 2 = sqrt{181} - 1

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