Geometry help(geometric mean in right triangles)

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rachelmaddie

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Find x, y, and z to the nearest tenth.

I’m not sure if I’m doing this correctly because I’m not use to working with variables like this.62287537-5B4A-4A91-9BEC-ED5A046AF55D.jpeg
 
1) If you knew you were about to find the square root, why did you bother to square them and make such imposing numbers?

[math]\sqrt{120^{2}} = 120[/math]. No need to wander through 14,400 to get there.

2) Looks good. Notice how you used the two pieces of the hypotenuse, NOT the whole thing.

3) Nice. Did it bother you that you didn't find 'x'?
 
rachelmaddie said:
Is this correct?
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Definitely not my favorite question. You tell me if it's correct. Did you make mistakes on purpose?

Can you prove it some other way? Maybe...

[math]x^{2} = 2\cdot 5 = 10[/math][math]y^{2} = x^{2} + 2^{2} = 10+4 = 14[/math][math]z^{2} = x^{2} + 5^{2} = 10+25 = 35[/math]Do you remember the Pythagorean Theorem?

Where does that lead? Same result or not? Go with confidence.
 
tkhunny said:
Definitely not my favorite question. You tell me if it's correct. Did you make mistakes on purpose?

Can you prove it some other way? Maybe...

[math]x^{2} = 2\cdot 5 = 10[/math][math]y^{2} = x^{2} + 2^{2} = 10+4 = 14[/math][math]z^{2} = x^{2} + 5^{2} = 10+25 = 35[/math]Do you remember the Pythagorean Theorem?

Where does that lead? Same result or not? Go with confidence.
Click to expand...
Those are my solutions??
 
rachelmaddie said:
Those are my solutions??
Click to expand...
This is the thing with especially geometry. There just isn't a list of things to memorize that will get you through the course successfully. Geometry is likely to be the first, and maybe the only, course you will see that REQUIRES thinking. It is time for you to put things together, follow a logical pathway, think in a linear manner - from one place to the next. It won't always be obvious.

I quite deliberately did NOT solve for [math]x, y,\;and\;z[/math]. I solved for [math]x^{2}, y^{2},\;and\;z^{2}[/math], hoping that you would see the connection. Think on it and then tell me what you see. DON'T just take a quick look and decide you don't get it
 
tkhunny said:
This is the thing with especially geometry. There just isn't a list of things to memorize that will get you through the course successfully. Geometry is likely to be the first, and maybe the only, course you will see that REQUIRES thinking. It is time for you to put things together, follow a logical pathway, think in a linear manner - from one place to the next. It won't always be obvious.

I quite deliberately did NOT solve for [math]x, y,\;and\;z[/math]. I solved for [math]x^{2}, y^{2},\;and\;z^{2}[/math], hoping that you would see the connection. Think on it and then tell me what you see. DON'T just take a quick look and decide you don't get it
Click to expand...
I see what you did but I don’t know how follow that in problem #5 for example because the altitude is given.
 
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