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| Math Central | Quandaries & Queries |
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Question from Tim: How would I calculate the area in square feet of a "triangle" with sides: Base is 36 feet; height is 70 feet; and the third side is an arch |
Tim,
Is the angle between the 36 foot side and the 70 foot side a right angle?
Harley
Tim wrote back
Yes it is, Harley.
Like the attached drawing. Thanks for the quick response!
Tim
Tim,
I added some labels and a line to your diagram.
Triangle ABC is a right triangle so I can use Pythagoras Theorem to find the length of AB.
|AB|2 = |BC|2 + |CA|2
|AB|2 = 362 + 702
|AB|2 = 6196 so
|AB|= √6196 = 78.7 feet.
But this can't be. Certainly the arc from A to B is longer than the line segment from A to B. Can you check your measurements?
Harley
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