Question

Three pieces of wood measure 20 cm, 41 cm, 44 cm. If the same amount is cut off each piece, the remaining length can be formed into a right triangle. What is the length that is cut off?

Answer 1

The length that can be cut off from the three given pieces of wood equally to form a right triangle is 5 cm

Given parameters:

dimension of the three pieces of wood = 20 cm, 41 cm and 44 cm

To find:

• the length that is cut off to form a right triangle

let the length that is cut off from each of the wood = y

From Pythagoras theorem, we will have the following equation.

$(44-y)^2 = (20-y)^2 + (41-y)^2\\\\expand \ the \ equation \ as \ follows;\\\\1936 - 88y + y^2 = 400 - 40y + y^2 + 1681 - 82y + y^2\\\\simplify \ by \ collecting \ similar \ terms \ together\\\\(1936 - 400- 1681) + (-88y + 40y+ 82y) + (y^2 - 2y^2) = 0\\\\-145 +34y - y^2 = 0\\\\multiply \ through \ by \ (-1)\\\\y^2-34y + 145 = 0\\\\factorize \ the \ above \ quadratic\ equation\\\\y^2 -5y - 29y + 145 = 0\\\\y(y - 5) -29(y - 5)=0 \\\\(y -5)(y-29) = 0\\\\y = 5 \ \ \ or \ \ \ \ y = 29$

Since the least measurement of one of the pieces of the wood is 20 cm, we cannot cut off 29 cm.

Thus, the highest amount we can cut off equally is 5 cm

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