SOLUTION: Please help... The perimeter of a triangle is 72cm. One side is four times the smallest side. The third side is 24cm longer than the smallest side. Find the measure of each side

Question 217641: Please help...
The perimeter of a triangle is 72cm. One side is four times the smallest side. The third side is 24cm longer than the smallest side. Find the measure of each side.
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let x=shortest side, y=second side, and z=third side

"The perimeter of a triangle is 72cm" means that

"One side is four times the smallest side" means

and "The third side is 24cm longer than the smallest side" tells us that

Start with the first equation.

Plug in and

Combine like terms on the left side.

Subtract from both sides.

Combine like terms on the right side.

Divide both sides by to isolate .

Reduce.

So the smallest side is 8 cm.

Now just plug in this value into the equations and to find 'y' and 'z'

So one side is 32 cm long.

and the third side is 32 cm long (this is just a coincidence)

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Answer:

So the three sides are 8 cm, 32 cm, and 32 cm long.
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