SOLUTION: Area of a sail. A triangular saile has an area of x squared + 5x + 6 square meters and a height of x +3 meters. Find the length of the sail's base. I tried this and got 2x+4 =

Algebra ->  Coordinate Systems and Linear Equations  -> Linear Equations and Systems Word Problems -> SOLUTION: Area of a sail. A triangular saile has an area of x squared + 5x + 6 square meters and a height of x +3 meters. Find the length of the sail's base. I tried this and got 2x+4 =       Log On


   

Question 40996: Area of a sail. A triangular saile has an area of x squared + 5x + 6 square meters and a height of x +3 meters. Find the length of the sail's base.
I tried this and got 2x+4 = base
because A+1/2bh
Answer by Earlsdon(6294) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
You are correct:
Area of the triangular sail is:
A+=+bh%2F2
A is given as: x%5E2%2B5x%2B6 and h is given as: x%2B3, making the appropriate substitutions, you get:
x%5E2%2B5x%2B6+=+b%28x%2B3%29%2F2 Solving this for b, you get:
b+=+%282x%5E2%2B10x%2B12%29%2F%28x%2B3%29 You can simplify this by dividing or by factoring & canceling...the latter is easier.
b+=+%282x%2B4%29%28x%2B3%29%2F%28x%2B3%29 Cancel the (x+3)'s
b+=+2x%2B4 which is exactly what you got!