document.write( "Question 909066: A circle of radius 3 is inscribed in ΔSPR. If SP = 7 and the altitude from R is 15, what is the sum of
\n" ); document.write( "lengths of the other two sides of the triangle? \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #551713 by Edwin McCravy(20060) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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document.write( "There can be no such triangle. It can be shown that the minimum altitude\r\n" );
document.write( "from R which a triangle SPR can have with an inscribed circle of \r\n" );
document.write( "radius 3 and SP =7 is when such triangle SPR is isosceles.  And that\r\n" );
document.write( "is when the altitude from R is  or .  So\r\n" );
document.write( "no such triangle can have an altitude from R as short as 15, as your\r\n" );
document.write( "problem states. \r\n" );
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document.write( "The isosceles triangle SPR below is drawn to scale, with SP = 7,\r\n" );
document.write( "and the inscribed circle has radius 3. Using similar right \r\n" );
document.write( "triangles OBR and PAR, it's easy to show that AR = .\r\n" );
document.write( "Thus altitude RA cannot possibly be as short as 15, `for this is\r\n" );
document.write( "the minimum case.  You should point this out to your instructor.\r\n" );
document.write( "There could have been a typo in one of the numbers.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin

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