document.write( "Question 132345: I need some help on this problem please: find out the length of sides a & b on the following triangle. A=x, b=3x and c = 19. I think I should use the pythagorean theorem. I squared 19 to get 361, but I don't know how to figure the rest. Any advice would be great. \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #96703 by solver91311(24713)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
You don't say, and I certainly can't see the figure, but I'll just assume that you have a right triangle and that side c is the hypotenuse. Given those assumptions, the Pythagorean Theorem is the correct approach to the solution.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "We know that \"a%5E2%2Bb%5E2=c%5E2\", so let's substitute the given values and see where it takes us.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2%2B%283x%29%5E2=19%5E2\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2%2B9x%5E2=19%5E2\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"10x%5E2=19%5E2\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2=19%5E2%2F10\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=sqrt%2819%5E2%2F10%29=sqrt%2819%5E2%29%2Fsqrt%2810%29=19%2Fsqrt%2810%29\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"19%2Fsqrt%2810%29\" is certainly an answer to the problem, but it is not in simplest terms because of the radical in the denominator. Simplest terms demands that, if possible, the denominator must be a rational number.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So, we need to perform a process called rationalizing the denominator. In this case, all we need to do is multiply \"19%2Fsqrt%2810%29\" by \"1\" in the form of \"sqrt%2810%29%2Fsqrt%2810%29\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%2819%2Fsqrt%2810%29%29%28sqrt%2810%29%2Fsqrt%2810%29%29=19sqrt%2810%29%2F10\". Final answer, Regis.
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