Question

the 2 equal sides of an isosceles triangle are 4 cm. if each of the equal angles measures 52 degrees, the length of the altitude is

Answer 1

To find the length of the altitude in an isosceles triangle with equal sides of 4 cm and equal angles of 52 degrees, we can use the tangent function. The length of the altitude is approximately 4.999 cm.

Step-by-step explanation:

An isosceles triangle has two equal sides. In this case, the equal sides are 4 cm each. The equal angles of the triangle measure 52 degrees. To find the length of the altitude, we can use the tangent function.

Let's label the base of the triangle as 'b' and the altitude as 'h'. The triangle is isosceles, so the angle opposite the base is also 52 degrees. We can set up the following equation:

tan(52) = h/b

We know that the base 'b' is 4 cm, so we can solve for 'h'.

h = b * tan(52)

Substituting the values:

h = 4 * tan(52)

Using a calculator, we find that h ≈ 4.999 cm. Therefore, the length of the altitude is approximately 4.999 cm.