Overlapping right angle triangles. I'm stuck.

[Aarseth]

I'm trying to get the length "x" given only the lengths "a" and "b", and the angle "v".
I drew a picture to explain it.

 

[JeffM]

The answer is that it is impossible given the information that you have provided. If this came from a text book, please give the entire problem word for word as we request in Read before Posting

 

[Deleted member 4993]

I'm trying to get the length "x" given only the lengths "a" and "b", and the angle "v".
I drew a picture to explain it.

Are the lines that look parallel - really parallel?

Are the angels that look 90^o- really 90^o?

Is a>b?

Please show us what you have tried and exactly where you are stuck.

Please follow the rules of posting in this forum, as enunciated at:

https://www.freemathhelp.com/forum/threads/read-before-posting.109846/#post-486520​

Please share your work/thoughts about this problem.

 

[Aarseth]

Sorry I forgot the right angles.
Yes the angles that look like 90 degrees are exactly that, a and b are parallel, but a is not always greater than b.

This didn't come from a textbook, it's from a problem I am having while programming a personal project. I wasn't sure if it could be solved but I have a limited understanding of mathematics so I thought I might ask.

 

[JeffM]

Can you see that sliding the line segment of length b up and down the vertical leg changes the problem?

Thus I think we need at least one other piece of information to provide a solution, perhaps a second angle in the triangle containing the line segment of length b.

 

[Aarseth]

Yes, I was hoping there would be some way of solving it by the fact that both triangles' top corners and vertical sides are aligned.
Thanks for the help anyway!