SOLUTION: Please help me with this problem, I just don't know how to get started with it. Thank you for any help you can give. The length of the base of an isosceles triangle is one third t

Algebra ->  Triangles -> SOLUTION: Please help me with this problem, I just don't know how to get started with it. Thank you for any help you can give. The length of the base of an isosceles triangle is one third t      Log On


   

Question 133424: Please help me with this problem, I just don't know how to get started with it. Thank you for any help you can give.
The length of the base of an isosceles triangle is one third the length of one of its legs. If the perimeter of the triangle is 56 inches, what is the length of the base?
Answer by vleith(2983) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
What do you know about an isosceles triangle? That's right, two legs are the same length.
Given: Perimeter = 56
Perimeter = side1 + side2 + side3
Let side1 and sides 2 be the two sides of equal length. Let that value be L
Then the base (the third side) is L/3 (given in the problem)
So the perimeter P+=+L+%2B+L+%2B+L%2F3
56+=+7L%2F3+
+%2856%2A+3%29%2F7+=+L+
+24+=+L+
Check your answer. what is one third of 24? 8.
24 + 24 + 8 = 56 Check!