SOLUTION: Will you please help me find the altitude on an acute scalene triangle? The problem is I have been given only the AREA(90 square feet) and the hypotenuse(18 feet). Am I correct i

Question 597319: Will you please help me find the altitude on an acute scalene triangle? The problem is I have been given only the AREA(90 square feet) and the hypotenuse(18 feet). Am I correct in making the assumption the missing part is the base and without its amount of feet an impossible equation to solve with a formula? Thank you for your time and expertise.
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The problem is I have been given only the AREA(90 square feet) and the hypotenuse(18 feet).
:
The fact that they give you the hypotenuse, means it is a right triangle, so we can call one side the altitude (a) and the other side the base (b)
:
We know is the two sides are different because it is a scalene triangle, using pythag
= 18
and the area
b*a = 90
mult both sides by 2
a * b = 180
b =
:
replace b
= 18
square both sides
a^2 + (180/a)^2 = 324
a^2 + (180/a)^2 - 324 = 0
:
Plot this equation

I don't think there is a solution, no x (a) intercept
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