Question

Right triangle ABC is on a coordinate plane. Segment AB is on the line y = 2 and is 6 units long. Point C is on the line x = −3. If the area of ΔABC is 9 square units, then find a possible y-coordinate of point C.

Answer 1

Answer:

y-coordinate is 5 or -1.

Step-by-step explanation:

Point A is at (x, 2) and B is at (x+6, 2). Since AB must lie on the line y=2  and be 6 units long. Point C is on the line x = -3 . So let C be at (-3, y).

Since ΔABC is a right angle, then point C must have the same x-coordinate as point A. Therefore, A(-3, 2) and B(2, 2).

The area of ΔABC is 6. So,

9 = 1/2 (b)(h)

where b is the base and h is the height.

so b = 6 and h = AC

Solving this for C gives

9 = 1/2 (6)(AC)

18/6 = AC

3 = AC

9 = 1/2 (6)(AC)

18/6 = AC

3 = AC

Point C must lie 3 units above point A or 3 units below the point A. If it lies 3 units above, then it has a y-coordinate of 2 + 3 = 5.

If it lies 3 units below, it has a y-coordinate 2 - 3 = -1.

Therefore, y-coordinate is 5 or -1.

Answer 2

Answer:

5

Step-by-step explanation: