Question

In your town, there is a field that is in the shape of a right triangle with the dimensions shown. (Round answers to the nearest whole number).
The picture is a right triangle with 35 ft as the short side, x ft is the long side, and 80ft is the length of the hypotenuse.

a. Find the perimeter of the field.

About ____ feet.

b. You are going to plant dogwood seedlings about every ten feet around the field's edge. How many trees do you need?

About______trees.

c. If each dogwood seedling sells for $12, how much will the trees cost?

About______ dollars

How would you do problems a and b step by step?

Answer 1

Answer:

a. about 187 feet

b. about 19 trees

c. about 228 dollars

What we know:

• 80 ft = hypotenuse
• 35 ft = short side
• x ft = long side
• it is a right triangle

a. Find the perimeter of the field. about 187 feet

solve for the missing side length ('x'):

1. 35^2 + x^2 = 80^2
2. 1225 + x^2 = 6400
3. x^2 = 5175
4. x = 15sqrt(23) or approx. 71.92

add all side lengths:

1. P = 80 + 35 + 71.92
2. P = 115 + 72 (rounded)
3. P = 187 ft

b. You are going to plant dogwood seedlings about every ten feet around the field's edge. How many trees do you need? about 19 trees

1. divide perimeter by 10 187/10 = 18.7
2. round 18.7 trees = about 19 trees

c. If each dogwood seedling sells for $12, how much will the trees cost? about $228

1. multiply trees by cost of each $12 x 19 trees = $228
2. about $228 for the trees