How to find the height of a right triangle - PSAT Math

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Question

Triangle

Note: Figure NOT drawn to scale.

Refer to the above diagram. Give the ratio of the perimeter of to that of .

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Answer

The altitude of a right triangle from the vertex of its right triangle to its hypotenuse divides it into two similar triangles.

, as the length of the altitude corresponding to the hypotenuse, is the geometric mean of the lengths of the parts of the hypotenuse it forms; that is, it is the square root of the product of the two:

.

The ratio of the smaller sides of these similar triangles is

The ratio of the smaller side of to that of is

or : 1,

so this is also the ratio of the perimeter of to that of .

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