Images explain all. ?

enter image source here

enter image source here

2 Answers
May 9, 2018

Solution 1 of 2: color(red)("Not rounded as instructed.")

"area "= 1.52sqrt(66)color(white)("d") as an exact value.

"area "~~ 12.348color(white)("d") to 3 decimal places

Explanation:

Have we have two legs the same length then this is what is called and Isosceles Triangle.

So this is like two Right Triangles back to back.
I assume they are called this as they have a right angle (90^o) in them.

Tony B

The area of a triangle is 1/2" base "xx" height"

So we need the height. We use Pythagoras to determine this:

color(blue)("Determine the height")

Let the height be h

Note that 7.6/2-> 3.8

h^2+(3.8)^2=5^2

Subtract (3.8)^2 from both sides

h^2=5^2-(3.8)^2

square root both sides

h=sqrt(5^2-(3.8)^2)

h=sqrt(10.56) this give a a very long decimal so switching to fractions to retain precision:

Note that 3.8 = 38/10 and that 5^2=25=2500/100

h=sqrt(5^2-(38/10)^2)

h=sqrt(2500/100-1444/100)

h=sqrt( 1056/100) =sqrt(1056)/sqrt(100) = sqrt(1056)/10

If you are ever not sure about roots do a quick sketch of a prime number factor tree:
Tony B

From this we have sqrt(1056)=sqrt(2^2xx2^2xx2xx3xx11) = 4sqrt(66)

Thus h=(4sqrt(66))/10 = (2sqrt(66))/5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
color(blue)("Determine the area")

"area "= 1/2xx" base"xx" height"

"area "= 1/cancel(2)xx7.6xx(cancel(2)sqrt(66))/5

"area "= 1.52sqrt(66)color(white)("d") as an exact value.

"area "~~ 12.348color(white)("d") to 3 decimal places

May 9, 2018

Solution of 2: color(blue)("Is rounded as instructed.")

"area "= 12.5" units"^2

Explanation:

Picking up from solution 1 of 2 at the point:

h=sqrt(5^2-(3.8)^2)

h~~sqrt(25 - 14.4) ~~ sqrt(10.6) where ~~ means approximately equal

h~~3.3

"area "=1/2" base"xx" height" =1/2xx7.6xx3.3 =12.5" units"^2

All rounded as instructed.

color(brown)("Now compare this to solution 1 of 2 and see the difference that")color(brown)("rounding this way makes. It is approximately "1.2%" error")