I need Math Help?

A landscaper is designing a flowe garden in the shape of a trapezoid. She wants the length of the shorter base to be 3 yards greater than the height, and the length of the longer base to be 5 yards greater than the height. For what height will the garden have an area of 360 square yards? Round to the nearest tenth of a yard.

I need Math Help?
Agree with Michael, I'll stop short of answering it, but I don't believe it is 17.1. My bad, it is 17.1, but don't think we should have given the answer...question was 'need help'



Area = [(a+b)*h ] / 2



Area = 360

a = h + 3

b = h + 5



Solve for h
Reply:Area of the Trapezoid is ((Base1 + Base2) / 2) * height

A=((B+b)/2) * h



360 = ((h+3)+(h+5)) / 2)*h

360 = ((2h +8) / 2) * h

360 = (h + 4) * h

360 = h^2 + 4h

0 = h^2 +4h - 360

Then you factor the quadratic formula.

h= 17.079

Rounded its 17.1 Yards
Reply:Long time since I did this sort of Math but it might be 17.1

Apologies, Darbo %26amp; Michael are right.
Reply:I'm sorry but I'm not even going to attempt this...mostly because I don't know what a 'yard' is. I'm only answering because I want to point out that it's kind of interesting that you use yards because just the other day my physics teacher was pointing out that some people don't use the metric system.
Reply:Vic has the right idea but his algebra is wrong. (h+3) * (h+5)=

h^2 + 8h + 15. Then you multiply by 1/2 and x again. That gets you into a higher power equation and you need a different formula which I don't have. x^3 + 8h^2 +15h = 720

There is a formula but I don't have it with me. You might check your problem again in the book because normally you won't see equations of this power in most classes. If you made a mistake copying it, maybe the solution is simpler.
Reply:You should probably do your own home work.



Here's a hint... Use the forumla for the area of a trapezoid.



Use H+3 for the short base (height =H)

Use H+5 for the long base

Make the area = 360... and solve for H....



Should be pretty easy from there.



And as for the previous answer... no one in the US uses the Metric system except for scientists....

rain roots