Math Problem Statement

there is a rectangular football field made entirely of right triangles. There are 8 triangles that make up the field. The dimensions of the entire field is 120 yards in length and 53.3 yards wide. What is the hypotenuse of one of those triangles. (Optional question) Find the area of one of the triangles. Round your answer(s) to the nearest tenth.

Solution

To solve the problem, let's break it down step by step.

Step 1: Understanding the Layout

The rectangular football field is made entirely of 8 right triangles. Since it's a rectangle, we can infer that these triangles are likely arranged in such a way that they make up the whole rectangle.

Given:

  • Length of the field L=120L = 120 yards
  • Width of the field W=53.3W = 53.3 yards

Step 2: Dimensions of Each Triangle

If there are 8 triangles forming the rectangle, each triangle must have a base or height that is a fraction of the entire rectangle's length and width. If we assume these triangles are arranged in pairs forming four larger right triangles by cutting the rectangle in half along the diagonals, then:

Each larger right triangle would have:

  • Base b=120b = 120 yards (the length of the rectangle)
  • Height h=53.3h = 53.3 yards (the width of the rectangle)

Each of the 8 smaller right triangles would then have dimensions:

  • Base=1202=60\text{Base} = \frac{120}{2} = 60 yards
  • Height=53.32=26.65\text{Height} = \frac{53.3}{2} = 26.65 yards

Step 3: Finding the Hypotenuse

For one of the smaller right triangles: Hypotenuse=(Base)2+(Height)2\text{Hypotenuse} = \sqrt{(\text{Base})^2 + (\text{Height})^2}

Substituting the values: Hypotenuse=(60)2+(26.65)2\text{Hypotenuse} = \sqrt{(60)^2 + (26.65)^2} Hypotenuse=3600+710.2225\text{Hypotenuse} = \sqrt{3600 + 710.2225} Hypotenuse=4310.2225\text{Hypotenuse} = \sqrt{4310.2225} Hypotenuse65.6 yards\text{Hypotenuse} \approx 65.6 \text{ yards}

Step 4: (Optional) Finding the Area of One Triangle

The area AA of one of the smaller triangles is given by: A=12×Base×HeightA = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{Base} \times \text{Height} A=12×60×26.65A = \frac{1}{2} \times 60 \times 26.65 A799.5 square yardsA \approx 799.5 \text{ square yards}

Final Answers:

  • The hypotenuse of one of the triangles is approximately 65.6 yards.
  • The area of one of the triangles is approximately 799.5 square yards.

Would you like more details on the calculations, or do you have any other questions?


Here are 5 related questions:

  1. How would the hypotenuse change if the length of the field increased by 10 yards?
  2. What would be the perimeter of one of the triangles?
  3. How many right triangles could you form if the field was divided into 12 parts instead?
  4. If the width was doubled, how would that affect the area of each triangle?
  5. How does the ratio of length to width impact the dimensions of the triangles?

Tip: In problems involving right triangles, the Pythagorean Theorem is a powerful tool for calculating unknown side lengths when two sides are known.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Geometry
Right Triangles
Pythagorean Theorem

Formulas

Pythagorean Theorem
Area of a Triangle

Theorems

Pythagorean Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 7-9