One side of a rectangular stage is 2 meters longer than the other. If the diagonal is 10 meters, then what are the lengths of the sides?

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Answer 1 · 2016-12-23T15:38:32

6 metres and 8 metres

Let the length of 1 side be #x#
Then the length of the other is #x+2#

The diagonal is given as 10 metres long

So we have a triangle. Using Pythagoras:

#x^2+(x+2)^2=10^2#

#2x^2+4x+4=100#

Divide through out by 2

#x^2+2x+2=50#

#x^2+2x-48=0#

#(x-6)(x+8)=0#

#x=6" and "x=-8# are solutions

It is not logical to have a negative value as a length of the rectangle

So the sides are of length #" "6" metres & "6+2=8" metres"#