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I don’t understand how to solve this. Please help!

I don’t understand how to solve this. Please help!-example-1
User Pllx
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1 Answer

5 votes

Answer:

GH = 16; CH = 12

Explanation:

First of all, you need to understand the meaning of "perpendicular bisector." It means that GH is divided into two equal parts by line AC, and that AC makes a right angle to GH.

The right angle is marked.

(a) The length of one of the halves of GH is marked as being 8 units long, so the other half will also be 8 units long. Of course, the length of GH is the sum of its two halves:

GH = GB +BH = 8 + 8

GH = 16

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(b) Triangles CBG and CBH share side CB, so have that length in common. They have equal lengths BG and BH because BC bisects GH. They have a right-angle at B in common, so can be considered congruent by SAS, the fact that two congruent sides have a congruent angle between them.

Since triangles CBG and CBH are congruent, their corresponding sides CG and CH are also congruent. Side CG is marked 12 units long, so CH will be 12 units long, also.

CH = 12

You could shortcut all of the congruent triangle logic by recognizing that an altitude (CB) is a perpendicular bisector of the base (GH) if and only if the triangle is isosceles. The sides of an isosceles triangle are always congruent, so CG = CH = 12.

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In part (c), you're supposed to choose possible theorems for demonstrating the congruence of the triangles we described above.

User Giacomo Bartoli
by
6.5k points
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