document.write( "Question 584932: One equilateral triangle has sides 5 ft long. Another equilateral triangle has sides 7 ft long. Find the ratio of the areas of the triangles. I think I need to start with the similarity ratio. But I'm not sure, and I don't know where to go from there! Thank you. (: \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #372986 by jim_thompson5910(35256)![]() ![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! If the side length of an equilateral triangle is x units, then the height/altitude is (x/2)*sqrt(3) units.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the area is then A = (bh)/2 = (x*(x/2)*sqrt(3))/2 = ((x^2)/4)*sqrt(3)\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So in short, the area of the equilateral triangle with side length 'x' is ((x^2)/4)*sqrt(3) square units.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the triangle with sides 5 ft long has an area of ((5^2)/4)*sqrt(3) = (25/4)*sqrt(3)\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "and the triangle with sides 7 feet long has an area of ((7^2)/4)*sqrt(3) = (49/4)*sqrt(3)\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Divide the two to get ( (25/4)*sqrt(3) )/( (49/4)*sqrt(3) ) = (25/4)(4/49) = 25/49\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the ratio between the two areas is 25:49 \n" ); document.write( " |