SOLUTION: One side of triangle is 3 times the shortest side. The third side is 20 feet more than the shortest side. The perimeter is 90. Find all three sides.

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Question 943687: One side of triangle is 3 times the shortest side. The third side is 20 feet more than the shortest side. The perimeter is 90. Find all three sides.

Answer by rheak(1) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
In a triangle there are 3 sides so that would mean 3 variables.
"One side of triangle is 3 times the shortest side. The third side is 20 feet more than the shortest side." <--- That is what you said and because of this information we can label our variables.
Shortest side is x
Second side is "3 times the shortest side" so it would be 3x
The third side is "20 feet more than the shortest side" so it would be x+20
We know that the perimeter or all of the sides add up to 90 so that would be your equation.
x+3x+x+20=90 (Simplify)
5x+20=90 (Subtract)
5x=70 (Divide)
x=14
So your shortest side would be 14.
The second side would be 14x3 which is 42.
The third side is 14+20 which is 34.
Add them up and they should equal 90.
Hope I helped.