Question

5. If W(-10, 4), X(-3,-1), and Y(-5, 11) classify AWXY by its sides. Show all work to justify your

answer.​

Answer 1

an isosceles right triangle

Explanation:

The square of the length of a side can be found from the distance formula:

d^2 = (x2-x1)^2 +(y2-y1)^2

The square of the length of WX is ...

WX^2 = (-3-(-10))^2 +(-1-4)^2 = 49+25 = 74

The square of the length of XY is ...

XY^2 = (-5-(-3))^2 +(11-(-1))^2 = 4 +144 = 148

The square of the length of YW is ...

YW^2 = (-10-(-5))^2 +(4 -11)^2 = 25 +49 = 74

The sum of the squares of the short sides is equal to the square of the long side, so this is a right triangle. The squares of the short sides are equal, so this is an isosceles right triangle.