Problema Solution
Find the perimeter of a triangle if one side is 11 inches, another side is 1/3 the perimeter, and the third side is one less than 1/4 the perimeter.
Answer provided by our tutors
Let P = the perimeter.
Let one other side = x long.
Let the other side = y long.
Then P = 11 + x + y.
One side, let's say side length x, meets the condition:
x = P/3 = (11 + x + y) / 3.
We have 2 equations:
P = 11 + x + y;
x = (11 + x + y) / 3.
There are 3 unknowns: x, y and P.
There are only 2 equations.
Hence, insufficient data to determine x or y; a third equation is required.
This can only be obtained from more data in the given Q.