Math Problem Statement

a right trinagke has area of 8 and hypotenuse of 8 what is its perimeter

Solution

In a right triangle, the area is given by:

Area=12×base×height\text{Area} = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{base} \times \text{height}

You are given that the area is 8 and the hypotenuse is 8. We can use this information to find the base and height, and then calculate the perimeter.

Step 1: Set up the equation for area

Let the base be bb and the height be hh. The area equation is:

8=12×b×h8 = \frac{1}{2} \times b \times h

Simplifying:

b×h=16b \times h = 16

Step 2: Use the Pythagorean theorem

For a right triangle, the Pythagorean theorem states:

b2+h2=82b^2 + h^2 = 8^2

b2+h2=64b^2 + h^2 = 64

Step 3: Solve the system of equations

We have the system:

  1. b×h=16b \times h = 16
  2. b2+h2=64b^2 + h^2 = 64

We can solve this system using substitution or elimination.

Solve for bb and hh:

Let’s express hh in terms of bb:

h=16bh = \frac{16}{b}

Substitute this into the Pythagorean equation:

b2+(16b)2=64b^2 + \left(\frac{16}{b}\right)^2 = 64

b2+256b2=64b^2 + \frac{256}{b^2} = 64

Multiply through by b2b^2 to clear the fraction:

b4+256=64b2b^4 + 256 = 64b^2

Rearrange the equation:

b464b2+256=0b^4 - 64b^2 + 256 = 0

Let x=b2x = b^2, so the equation becomes:

x264x+256=0x^2 - 64x + 256 = 0

Solve this quadratic equation using the quadratic formula:

x=(64)±(64)24(1)(256)2(1)x = \frac{-(-64) \pm \sqrt{(-64)^2 - 4(1)(256)}}{2(1)}

x=64±409610242x = \frac{64 \pm \sqrt{4096 - 1024}}{2}

x=64±30722x = \frac{64 \pm \sqrt{3072}}{2}

x=64±55.432x = \frac{64 \pm 55.43}{2}

This gives two possible solutions for xx:

x=64+55.432=59.715orx=6455.432=4.285x = \frac{64 + 55.43}{2} = 59.715 \quad \text{or} \quad x = \frac{64 - 55.43}{2} = 4.285

Since b2=xb^2 = x, we now take the square root of both values:

b=59.7157.73orb=4.2852.07b = \sqrt{59.715} \approx 7.73 \quad \text{or} \quad b = \sqrt{4.285} \approx 2.07

Now we find hh:

For b7.73b \approx 7.73:

h=167.732.07h = \frac{16}{7.73} \approx 2.07

For b2.07b \approx 2.07:

h=162.077.73h = \frac{16}{2.07} \approx 7.73

Step 4: Calculate the perimeter

The perimeter PP of the triangle is the sum of the base, height, and hypotenuse:

P=b+h+8P = b + h + 8

For b7.73b \approx 7.73 and h2.07h \approx 2.07:

P7.73+2.07+8=17.8P \approx 7.73 + 2.07 + 8 = 17.8

Thus, the perimeter of the triangle is approximately 17.8.


Would you like further clarification or help with anything else?

Here are some related questions:

  1. How do we verify the results using the Pythagorean theorem?
  2. What happens to the perimeter if the area or the hypotenuse changes?
  3. How can we solve a similar problem if the base or height was given instead of the hypotenuse?
  4. Can we calculate the angles of this triangle based on its sides?
  5. How can we find the area of a right triangle if only two sides are given?

Tip: Always check the consistency of the Pythagorean theorem after solving the triangle to ensure the side lengths are correct!

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Right Triangle Geometry
Pythagorean Theorem
Algebra
Area and Perimeter of a Triangle

Formulas

Area = 1/2 * base * height
Pythagorean Theorem: b^2 + h^2 = c^2
Perimeter = base + height + hypotenuse

Theorems

Pythagorean Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 8-10