finding x?

[afoy26]

Need Help Solving for X

I'm not sure how to work out this problem- would anyone be willing to talk me through the process of solving for x? Thank you!

Edit: I should also add that I have no work to show for this problem, as I am not sure where to begin.
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[afoy26]

WHAT is the question? We can't read minds...

The attached image is the problem, and the objective is to find x.

 

[afoy26]

Hard to read: is that a 9 or a 6?
And 7 - x?

No angles are given?

The number in question is a 6, and the other side is apparently x-∠. It is true that no angles are given; that's one of the things that confused me the most about this problem.

 

[mcmadhan]

Assuming the values given are 10, 6, and (7 - x).

also asumint that the common side of the 2 triangle in the pic makes a 90^o the side of length 6 + (7 - x).

The common side = sqrt(10² - 6²)

The common side = 8

8² + (7 + x)² = x²

x = 8.07

 

[lookagain]

Assuming the values given are 10, 6, and (7 - x).

also asumint that the common side of the 2 triangle in the pic makes a 90^o the side of length 6 + (7 - x).

The common side = sqrt(10² - 6²)

The common side = 8

8² + (7 + x)² = x²

x = 8.07

mcmadhan, your x-value doesn't make sense, because (7 - x) would be a negative number in your case.


It's a poorly drawn/incomplete figure. What I think was intended was a diagram with one isosceles triangle composed of
two non-overlapping right triangles, with one of the sides supposed to be (x - 2), where the top of the "2" is cut off.
If so, then the triangle with the variables isn't drawn to scale based on how the numbers would work out.

altitude = common side

10² - 6² = (common side)²


Solve for the length of the common side ,which is the altitude.

(common side)² + (x - 2)² = x²


Then solve this for x and (x - 2).


If my interpretation is correct, the side lengths of the alleged right triangle (with the variables) make a Pythagorean triple.

 

[Steven G]

The number in question is a 6, and the other side is apparently x-∠. It is true that no angles are given; that's one of the things that confused me the most about this problem.

How did you type just part of the 2 (∠ )??

I guess that YOU knew it was not a 7, so why would you not tell us?????????

 

[afoy26]

I hadn't checked this thread in a while, so I hadn't been able to respond. This figure was not created by me, and with the responses given, it seems that the figure is of very poor quality. I assume that classroom help would be best for me at this point, but thank you all for the help with this.

 

[Otis]

Some people were considering that one side might have been labeled 7-x.

Is it silly to think that the diagram had been turned upside down, after labeling one side, to label another side?

Kudos to lookagain, for applying common sense.