Triangle word problem

Question

The longest side of a triangle-shaped flower bed is 3 meters longer than the shortest side. The medium side is 1.5 meters longer than the shortest side. If you walk around the triangle, you would walk a distance of 79.6 meters. How long is each side of the flower bed?

Answer 1

When you walk around the triangle, you are walking the distance of the triangle, which is the perimeter.  The perimeter of any shape is the sum of its sides.

 

 

Let the shortest side = x

Let the median side = x + 1.5

Let the longest side = x + 3

 

 

Now we can write an equation for perimeter using these variables.

 

x + x + 1.5 + x + 3 = 79.6

 

 

Solve the equation for x.  Then once you solved for x, substitute that value into the 3 variables to get your sides.