No angle allowed!

Geometry Level 2

Triangle A B C ABC is a right triangle with a side length A C = 5 , C = 9 0 \left\lvert\overline{AC}\right\rvert=5, \angle C = 90^\circ and the measures of A \angle A and B \angle B unknown. If D D is a point on A B \overline{AB} such that A D C = 9 0 \angle ADC = 90^\circ and A D = 4 , \left\lvert\overline{AD}\right\rvert=4, what is B C ? \left\lvert\overline{BC}\right\rvert?


The answer is 3.75.

This section requires Javascript.
You are seeing this because something didn't load right. We suggest you, (a) try refreshing the page, (b) enabling javascript if it is disabled on your browser and, finally, (c) loading the non-javascript version of this page . We're sorry about the hassle.

3 solutions

Take triangle A D C ADC

A C 2 = A D 2 + D C 2 AC^{2} = AD^{2} + DC^{2}

5 2 = 4 2 + D C 2 5^{2} = 4^{2} + DC ^{2}

25 16 = D C 2 25 - 16 = DC^{2}

3 = D C 3 = DC

Take D B DB as x x .

In triangle A B C ABC ;

5 2 + B C 2 = ( 4 + x ) 2 5^{2} +BC^{2} = (4 + x)^{2}

16 + x 2 + 8 x 25 = B C 2 16 + x^{2} + 8x -25 = BC^{2} ( 1 ) (1)

In triangle B C D BCD

D C 2 + B D 2 = B C 2 DC^{2} + BD^{2} = BC^{2}

3 2 + x 2 = B C 2 3^{2} + x^{2} = BC^{2} ( 2 ) (2)

Equating 1 & 2

16 + x 2 + 8 x 25 = B C 2 = 3 2 + x 2 = B C 2 16 + x^{2} + 8x -25 = BC^{2} = 3^{2} + x^{2} = BC^{2}

8 x = 18 8x = 18

x = 2.25 x = 2.25

Therefore; A B = 4 + 2.25 = 6.25 AB = 4 + 2.25 = 6.25

By Pythagoras Theorem; 6.25^{2} - 5^{2) = BC^2

39.0625 25 = B C 2 39.0625 - 25 = BC^{2}

14.0625 = B C 2 14.0625 = BC^{2}

B C = 3.75 BC = 3.75

This is more clear solution.

Jade Mijares - 5 years, 6 months ago
Jade Mijares
Nov 23, 2015

We could determine that CD = 3 through Pythagorean Triplets.

Then if we draw an arc with radius equal to 5, we could determine that BC is a tangent and is equal to 5 tan A 5 \tan A . So BC is:

B C = 5 tan A = 5 ( 3 4 ) BC = 5 \tan A = 5\Big(\frac{3}{4}\Big) B C = 3.75 \boxed{BC = 3.75}

Henk Elemans
Nov 28, 2015

B A C = C A D \angle BAC=\angle CAD and A C B = A D C = 90 ° \angle ACB=\angle ADC=90° leaving A B C = A C D \angle ABC=\angle ACD .

This makes ABC and ACD similar triangles so we can just compare ratios.

CD is 3/4th of AD, since it is 3 (per the most famous example of Pythagorean Theorem) and 3 = 0.75 4 3=0.75*4 .

BC is 3/4th of AC, making it 3.75 because 3.75 = 0.75 5 3.75=0.75*5 .

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...