High School

The isosceles triangle has a perimeter of 7.5 m. Which equation can be used to find the value of [tex]x[/tex] if the shortest side, [tex]y[/tex], measures 2.1 m?

A. [tex]y + 2x - 2.1 = 7.5[/tex]

B. [tex]4.2 + y = 7.5[/tex]

C. [tex]y - 4.2 = 7.5[/tex]

D. [tex]2.1 + 2x = 7.5[/tex]

Answer :

To solve this problem and find the correct equation to determine the value of [tex]\( x \)[/tex], let's first identify the details of the isosceles triangle:

1. Perimeter of the Triangle: The perimeter is given as 7.5 meters.
2. Shortest Side: The shortest side, denoted as [tex]\( y \)[/tex], measures 2.1 meters.
3. Isosceles Triangle: In an isosceles triangle, two sides are equal in length. Let's represent the equal sides as [tex]\( x \)[/tex].

Since it's an isosceles triangle, the perimeter is made up by adding the three sides together:
- Two equal sides (each of length [tex]\( x \)[/tex]).
- The shortest side ([tex]\( y = 2.1 \)[/tex] meters).

The equation for the perimeter is:

[tex]\[ x + x + y = 7.5 \][/tex]

Simplifying this, we have:

[tex]\[ 2x + 2.1 = 7.5 \][/tex]

This fits with one of the given options: [tex]\( 2.1 + 2x = 7.5 \)[/tex].

Therefore, the equation to find the value of [tex]\( x \)[/tex] is:

[tex]\[ 2.1 + 2x = 7.5 \][/tex]

This equation ensures that the sum of the lengths of all sides meets the given perimeter requirement of the triangle.