Linear towns ?

[miamivince]

Town x is 17 miles away. We are 1/3 of the distance between Brent and Kent. X is 19 miles from Kent, 15 miles from Brent. What is the distance between x and Brent ?
Usually right a triangles are used, are the towns linear ? The s'oln says 29 miles, I'm not so sure. Thanks.

 

[Ishuda]

Town x is 17 miles away. We are 1/3 of the distance between Brent and Kent. X is 19 miles from Kent, 15 miles from Brent. What is the distance between x and Brent ?
Usually right a triangles are used, are the towns linear ? The s'oln says 29 miles, I'm not so sure. Thanks.

Assuming x and X are the same, the question doesn't make sense to me. Using x as the center of a set of three circles, Kent is on the circle with radius 19 (miles), you are on the circle of radius 17, and Brent is on the circle of radius 15. Thus the distance between x and Brent is 15 miles regardless of the relationship in the positions of Kent, you, and Brent.

If x and X are not the same point, the answer would depend on the actual distance between Kent and Brent and other information not given. If the distance were 4 miles between Brent and Kent, the three of you would be on a co-linear line.

 

[HallsofIvy]

??? The problem says " X is ... 15 miles from Brent. " then asks "What is the distance between x and Brent ?

If "x" is the same as "X" then the answer is 15 miles! If not, then we have no information at all about "X"!