The sum of the lengths of the sides of triangle ABC is 25 in. The lengths of sides AB and BC are 9 inches and 8 inches. Find the length of side AC and classify the triangle.

Hmmm. AC=total-AB-BC

To find the length of side AC, we can start by using the formula for the sum of the lengths of the sides of a triangle, which states that the sum of the lengths of any two sides of a triangle must be greater than the length of the third side.

In this case, let's use the given information to set up an equation:

AB + BC + AC = 25

Substituting the given lengths:

9 + 8 + AC = 25

Now we can solve for AC:

AC = 25 - 9 - 8
AC = 8

Therefore, the length of side AC is 8 inches.

To classify the triangle, we can use the lengths of its sides. In this case, we have the lengths AB = 9 inches, BC = 8 inches, and AC = 8 inches.

Since all three sides are equal, this triangle is classified as an equilateral triangle.