similar triangle calculation

UTAstudent

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Jan 10, 2012
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I have a 5-12-13 right triangle and if a similar triangle is inscribed with sides one inch in (parallel) from the original triangle what are the lengths of each side? I need help doing the problem so that I can apply the idea to a similar situation.
 
Draw the 5-12-13
Draw the three inside lines. Two should be easy. The smaller hypotenuse may be approximate. Don't worry about that right now.
From each of the inner-hypotenuse endpoints (where it intersects the inner-legs, draw line segments parallel to the legs.
This should result in a nice collection of other similar triangles, of various sizes.

Now what?

Just to emphasize that unique answers don't care how you get them, I used an analytic geometry solution.

Line 1: x = 0
Line 2: y = 0
Line 3: x/5 + y/12 = 1 ==> y = 12(1-x/5) = 12 - (5/12)x

That's the outer triangle.

Now the inner triangle...

Line 4: x = 1
Line 5: y = 1
Line 6: This is the only tricky part. I did it this way.

Line 7: Through the Origin and perpendicular to Line 3 -- y = (12/5)x Intersects Line 3 at (720/169,1728/169). This intersection is 144/13 from the Origin - just using the distance formula.

Line 6: Is parallel to Line 3 and intersects Line 7 at a distance of 144/13 - 1 = (144-13)/13 = 131/13 from the Origin.

You can finish, if you like. It's almost done. This may seem massive and confusing or perhaps far more complicated than it has to be. That's okay. There is OFTEN more than one way to go about it. Some ways are really awesome and slick. Other ways are cumbersome and entirely laborious. The answer is still unique! Sometimes, just keeping tack through a swampy mess of algebra can be quite rewarding. :p
 
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tkhunny,
I was working through your solution first and noticed you may have solved eq. 3 incorrectly for y. I got y = 12 - 12/5x I'll continue since I I like the method...so far. Therefore the perpendicular throught the origin to line 3 is y = 5/12x and the intersection is at [144/169, 300/169] and the distance is (12/169)*(the square root of 769). the numbers are getting ugly...lol
 
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Denis,

Could your solution for a generalized right triangle be adapted to any triangle using the law of cosines?
 
tkhunny,
I was working through your solution first and noticed you may have solved eq. 3 incorrectly for y. I got y = 12 - 12/5x I'll continue since I I like the method...so far. Therefore the perpendicular throught the origin to line 3 is y = 5/12x and the intersection is at [144/169, 300/169] and the distance is (12/169)*(the square root of 769). the numbers are getting ugly...lol

That's odd. I wonder how I did that? Must have been using my middle eye. Good work checking it out.

BTW, I absolutely do NOT recommend this method. It is arduous, to say the least. It's just an example of trying something, rather than giving up.
 
Denis,
I'll work on it tomorrow and let you know how it turns out. I actualy need to apply this to a practical situation. I'm building a geodesic dome, 3V octohedron, Method I, Class I (Reference is Geodesic Math & how to use it by Hugh Kenner).
 
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That's odd. I wonder how I did that? Must have been using my middle eye. Good work checking it out.

BTW, I absolutely do NOT recommend this method. It is arduous, to say the least. It's just an example of trying something, rather than giving up.
No problem. I enjoyed the refresher training. My last math classes were 4 years ago; Cal-II & Linear Alg. I'm rusty.
 
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