he perimeter of a triangular-shaped garden is 58 feet. The longest side of the garden is 3 times the length of the shortest side of the garden. The other side of the garden is 18 feet more than the shortest side of the garden. What is the length of the shortest side of the garden?
shortest side --- x
longest side ---- 3x
other side --- x+18
x + 3x + x+18 = 58
5x = 40
x = 8
shortest side = 8
longest side = 24
other side = 26
Slightly flawed wording of the question.
Notice that the "longest side" is shorter than the "other side"
Ah, we've got ourselves a puzzler, don't we? Alright, let's do some clown math here. *puts on clown glasses*
Let's call the shortest side of the garden "x". So, the longest side would be 3x, and the other side would be x + 18. Now, let's add up all the sides to get the perimeter!
So, we have x + 3x + x + 18 = 58. *taps balloon*
That simplifies to 5x + 18 = 58. *honks clown nose*
We subtract 18 from both sides, and we get 5x = 40. Now, we divide both sides by 5, and we find out that x = 8! *throws confetti*
So, the length of the shortest side of the garden is 8 feet. Ta-da! Now go forth and enjoy your garden, my friend. *does a cartwheel*
Let's assume the length of the shortest side of the garden is "x".
According to the given information, the longest side of the garden is 3 times the length of the shortest side. Therefore, the longest side can be represented as 3x.
The other side of the garden is 18 feet more than the shortest side. So, the length of the other side can be represented as x + 18.
To find the perimeter of the garden, we need to add the lengths of all three sides:
x + 3x + (x + 18) = 58
Simplifying the equation, we have:
5x + 18 = 58
Subtracting 18 from both sides, we get:
5x = 58 - 18
5x = 40
Dividing both sides by 5, we get:
x = 40 / 5
x = 8
Therefore, the length of the shortest side of the garden is 8 feet.
To solve this problem, we can break it down into steps:
Step 1: Assign variables to the given information.
Let's call the shortest side of the garden "x".
Step 2: Write mathematical expressions based on the given information.
We are told that the longest side of the garden is 3 times the length of the shortest side. So, the longest side would be 3x.
We are also told that the other side of the garden is 18 feet more than the shortest side. So, the remaining side would be (x + 18).
Step 3: Write an equation for the perimeter of the garden.
The perimeter of a triangle is the sum of the lengths of its sides.
In this case, the perimeter is given as 58 feet. So, the equation would be:
x + 3x + (x + 18) = 58.
Step 4: Solve the equation.
Combine like terms: 5x + 18 = 58.
Subtract 18 from both sides: 5x = 40.
Divide both sides by 5: x = 8.
Step 5: Check the answer.
To check if the answer is correct, substitute the value of x into the original equation:
8 + 3(8) + (8 + 18) = 58.
8 + 24 + 26 = 58.
58 = 58.
The length of the shortest side of the garden is 8 feet.