Question

An isosceles triangle has two sides of equal length, a, and a base, b. The perimeter of the triangle is 15.7 inches, so the equation to solve is 2a + b = 15.7.

Which lengths make sense for possible values of b? Check all that apply.
–2 in.
0 in.
0.5 in.
2 in.
7.9 in.

Answer 1

0.5 in, 2 in

Explanation:

• It cannot be a negative number, so -2 is out.
• If we use Pythagorean's theorem (
  `a^2+b^2=c^2`), we know that only 0.5 and 2 are correct values of b.