document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=149700>Question 149700</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> The parallel sides of a trapezoid are 12\" and 18\" long.  The non-parallel sides meet when one is extended 9\" and the other is extended 16\".  How long are the non-parallel sides of this trapezoid. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #109811 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><B>jim_thompson5910(35256)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=109811\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> If we draw the picture, we get\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" src=\"http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s91/jim_thompson5910/solution3.png\" alt=\"Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting\">\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "From the picture, we can see that there is one large triangle and there is one smaller triangle towards the top.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "It turns out that these triangles are similar. So this means that these ratios hold:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=12%2F18=9%2F%289%2Bx%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"12%2F18=9%2F%289%2Bx%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=12%2F18=16%2F%2816%2By%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"12%2F18=16%2F%2816%2By%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So let's find the length of x:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=12%2F18=9%2F%289%2Bx%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"12%2F18=9%2F%289%2Bx%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Start with the first ratio.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%2812%29%289%2Bx%29=%289%29%2818%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%2812%29%289%2Bx%29=%289%29%2818%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Cross multiply\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=108%2B12x=162 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"108%2B12x=162\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Distribute and multiply.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=12x=162-108 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"12x=162-108\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Subtract <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=108 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"108\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > from both sides.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=12x=54 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"12x=54\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Combine like terms on the right side.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=%2854%29%2F%2812%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=%2854%29%2F%2812%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Divide both sides by <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=12 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"12\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > to isolate <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=4.5 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=4.5\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Divide.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So the length of x is 4.5 units.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Now let's find the length of y:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%2812%29%2F%2818%29=%2816%29%2F%2816%2By%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%2812%29%2F%2818%29=%2816%29%2F%2816%2By%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Start with the second ratio\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%2812%29%2816%2By%29=%2816%29%2818%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%2812%29%2816%2By%29=%2816%29%2818%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Cross multiply\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=192%2B12y=288 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"192%2B12y=288\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Distribute and multiply.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=12y=288-192 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"12y=288-192\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Subtract <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=192 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"192\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > from both sides.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=12y=96 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"12y=96\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Combine like terms on the right side.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=%2896%29%2F%2812%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=%2896%29%2F%2812%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Divide both sides by <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=12 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"12\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > to isolate <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=8 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=8\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Reduce.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So the length of y is 8 units.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So the lengths of the non-parallel sides are 4.5 and 8 units. </SPAN>\n" );
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