document.write( "Question 597319: Will you please help me find the altitude on an acute scalene triangle? The problem is I have been given only the AREA(90 square feet) and the hypotenuse(18 feet). Am I correct in making the assumption the missing part is the base and without its amount of feet an impossible equation to solve with a formula? Thank you for your time and expertise. \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #378172 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)\"\" \"About 
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The problem is I have been given only the AREA(90 square feet) and the hypotenuse(18 feet).
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\n" ); document.write( "The fact that they give you the hypotenuse, means it is a right triangle, so we can call one side the altitude (a) and the other side the base (b)
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\n" ); document.write( "We know is the two sides are different because it is a scalene triangle, using pythag
\n" ); document.write( " \"sqrt%28a%5E2%2Bb%5E2%29\" = 18
\n" ); document.write( "and the area
\n" ); document.write( "\"1%2F2\"b*a = 90
\n" ); document.write( "mult both sides by 2
\n" ); document.write( "a * b = 180
\n" ); document.write( "b = \"180%2Fa\"
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "replace b
\n" ); document.write( "\"sqrt%28a%5E2+%2B+%28180%2Fa%29%5E2%29\" = 18
\n" ); document.write( "square both sides
\n" ); document.write( "a^2 + (180/a)^2 = 324
\n" ); document.write( "a^2 + (180/a)^2 - 324 = 0
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "Plot this equation
\n" ); document.write( "\"+graph%28+300%2C+200%2C+-20%2C+20%2C+-100%2C+500%2C+x%5E2%2B%28180%2Fx%29%5E2-324%29+\"
\n" ); document.write( "I don't think there is a solution, no x (a) intercept
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