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11 votes
11 votes
Please help me find DE

Please help me find DE-example-1
User Shirell
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1 Answer

16 votes
16 votes

You can split up the length of AE into the lengths of the line segments connecting adjacent points:

AE = AB + BC + CD + DE

Plug in everything you know and solve for DE :

9 = (2 1/2) + (4 1/3) + (1 2/3) + DE

Rewrite the mixed numbers as improper fractions with a common denominator.

2 1/2 = 4/2 + 1/2 = 5/2 = 15/6

4 1/3 = 12/3 + 1/3 = 13/3 = 26/6

1 2/3 = 3/3 + 2/3 = 5/3 = 10/6

9 = 54/6

So we have

54/6 = 15/6 + 26/6 + 10/6 + DE

⇒ DE = (54 - 15 - 26 - 10)/6 = 3/6 = 1/2

(It looks as though you will need to enter 1 in the top box and 2 in the bottom one)

User Ykombinator
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