SOLUTION: the soule's live on a corner lot. Often children cut across their lot to save time. given the values for pythagereoms theorom how many feet of walking distance is saved by cutting

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Question 981069: the soule's live on a corner lot. Often children cut across their lot to save time. given the values for pythagereoms theorom how many feet of walking distance is saved by cutting across?
a=x
b=x+21
c=51
Answer by MathLover1(20849) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
a=x
b=x%2B21
c=51
c%5E2=a%5E2%2Bb%5E2
51%5E2=x%5E2%2B%28x%2B21%29%5E2
2601=x%5E2%2Bx%5E2%2B42x%2B441
0=2x%5E2%2B42x%2B441-2601
0=2x%5E2%2B42x-2160........both sides divide by 2
0=x%5E2%2B21x-1080
x%5E2%2B45x-24x-1080=0
%28x%5E2%2B45x%29-%2824x%2B1080%29=0
x%28x%2B45%29-24%28x%2B45%29=0
%28x-24%29%28x%2B45%29+=+0
solutions:
if %28x-24%29+=+0=>x=24
if %28x%2B45%29+=+0=>x=-45....since the length cannot be negative, disregard this solution
so, your solution is x=24
then the length of the sides are
a=x=>a=24
b=x%2B21=>b=45
c=51
when children walk along both sides of their lot, they will walk 24%2B45=69
but, when children cut across their lot they will walk 51
so,69-51=18 and that is distance saved by cutting across