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solve for X

SHOW YOUR WORK  and explain. 

 

 Jan 30, 2020
edited by upperclasspanda  Jan 30, 2020
 #1
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That angle at the top looks like a right angle.  If it is, that makes the problem easy.    

If it is not a right angle, the problem doesn't provide enough information for me to solve it. 

 

If the angle at the top is in fact 90o then we have a right triangle and can use Pythagoras' Theorem. 

 

Pythagoras' Theorem               hypotenuse2 = leg12 + leg22  

 

substitute known values            92  =  42 + (X +2)2                

 

subtract 42 from both sides

and rearrange terms                  (X + 2)2  =  92 – 42       No real reason to rearrange; I just prefer the unknown on the left.

 

                                                   (X + 2)2  =  81 – 16  =  65             

 

take square root of both sides    X + 2  =  sqrt(65)   

 

subtract 2 from both sides          X  =  sqrt(65) – 2          

.

 Jan 31, 2020

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