Finding the value of x

[Twitard13]

I don't know how to set up the problem. It's is a triangle and one leg is 8x+5 the other leg is 2x+11. At the base it has two angle signs and 3x. I don't understand.
I've tried:
8x+5+2x+11+3x=180
13x+16=180
-16 - 16
13x=164
x=12.61

I don't know if it is the right answer or not.

 

[chrisr]

Is the length of the side lying on the ground=3x,
the other two sloping sides (legs) are 2x+11 and 8x+5?
with the corner angles on the ground given in Greek letters?

Any other information?

 

[Mrspi]

I don't know how to set up the problem. It's is a triangle and one leg is 8x+5 the other leg is 2x+11. At the base it has two angle signs and 3x. I don't understand.
I've tried:
8x+5+2x+11+3x=180<------the sides of a triangle don't have to add up to anything in particular...let alone 180
13x+16=180
-16 - 16
13x=164
x=12.61

I don't know if it is the right answer or not.

When you say "two angle signs," I wonder if you have two angles marked the SAME WAY....

Marking the angles the same way shows that those two angles are equal.

If two angles in a triangle are equal, then the sides opposite those angles are equal. As you've described your diagram, it appears that what you call the "legs" are the sides opposite the equal angles, so those legs are equal.

So.....

8x + 5 = 2x + 11

Solve that equation for x.

Once you know the value of x, you can find the length of each side of the triangle by substituting the value of x into each of the given expressions.