SOLUTION: An equilateral triangle has an altitude of 6 cm 1) Find the length of one side 2) Find the area My instructor said to use special triangle proportions to solve it ? Help

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Question 774197: An equilateral triangle has an altitude of 6 cm
1) Find the length of one side
2) Find the area
My instructor said to use special triangle proportions to solve it ? Help
Answer by mananth(16946) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
In an equilateral triangle the altitude h = %28sqrt%283%29a%29%2F2 where a is the length of the side
6= sqrt%283%29%2Aa%2F2
sqrt%283%29a=+2%2A6
a= %282%2A6%29%2Fsqrt%283%29

a= %282%2Asqrt%283%29%2Asqrt%283%29%2A3%29%2Fsqrt%283%29
a=6sqrt%283%29
Area of triangle = 1/2 * base * height
base = a=6sqrt%283%29
h=6
area = 1/2 * 6*6sqrt%283%29
=18sqrt%283%29