SOLUTION: The parallelogram has a height that is 2 inches less than the length of its base, and area is 180cm squared. Find the height of the parallelogram. please help.

Click here to see ALL problems on Parallelograms

Question 287128: The parallelogram has a height that is 2 inches less than the length of its base, and area is 180cm squared. Find the height of the parallelogram.
please help.
Answer by nyc_function(2741) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Area of parallelogram is given by A = base times height.
Let x = base
Let x - 2 = length
Let A = 180
180 = x(x - 2)
180 = x^2 - 2x
0 = x^2 - 2x - 180
We use quadratic formula at this point.
x = 2 � sqrt{4 - 4(1)(-180)}/2
x = 2 � sqrt{724}/2
x = 2 � sqrt{4}*sqrt{181}/2
x = 2 � 2 * sqrt{181}/2
x = 1 � sqrt{181}
Since we are looking for length and length is positive measure, we reject
1 - sqrt{181} as a possible answer for x.
The height = x - 2.
I just found x to be 1 � sqrt{181}
So, the length is 1 + sqrt{181} - 2 = sqrt{181} - 1