Math Is Fun Forum

Hopecantid

Member

Registered: 2008-04-08

Posts: 13

Trigonmetry and Triangles = Fun

In

ABC below, tan(<CAB)=

and the altitude from vertex A divides BC into segments of length 3 and 17.  Find the area of

ABC.

I've been working on it, but I keep getting stuck or lost. 

JaneFairfax

Member

Registered: 2007-02-23

Posts: 6,868

Re: Trigonmetry and Triangles = Fun

Let x be the length of altitude and let the foot of the altitude be D. Then

and

Now you can find x and hence the area of the triangle.

Last edited by JaneFairfax (2008-04-09 02:37:42)