SOLUTION: The sides of an isosceles triangle are 27, 27, and 12yd long. What is the area of the triangle? Do not round any intermediate computations, and round your answer to the nearest te

Algebra ->  Triangles -> SOLUTION: The sides of an isosceles triangle are 27, 27, and 12yd long. What is the area of the triangle? Do not round any intermediate computations, and round your answer to the nearest te      Log On


   

Question 814752: The sides of an isosceles triangle are 27, 27, and 12yd long. What is the area of the triangle?
Do not round any intermediate computations, and round your answer to the nearest tenth. i need help on how to solve this step by step
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The sides of an isosceles triangle are 27, 27, and 12yd long.
What is the area of the triangle?
:
We need to find the height of the triangle to find the area
:
Draw the triangle, with the base as 12 yd, draw the height, a perpendicular line from the center of the base, bisecting the top angle.
Note that you have two right triangles,
one leg is half the base, 6
one leg is the height h
one side is the hypotenuse, 27
Using pythag
6^2 + h^2 = 27^2
36 + h^2 = 729
h^2 = 729 - 36
h^2 = 693
h = sqrt%28693%29 is the height of the triangle
:
A = 1%2F2b*h
A = 1%2F2*12%2Asqrt%28693%29
Using your calc
A = 157.949
A = 157.9 sq/yds