The height of an equilateral triangle equals √3/2 times the side length. Using 7/4 for the square root of 3, what is the approximate height in meters of an equilateral triangle with a side length of 8 meters?

1 answer

To find the height of an equilateral triangle, we can use the formula where the height \( h \) equals \(\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} \times s\), where \( s \) is the side length.

Given \( s = 8 \) meters and using \(\frac{7}{4}\) for \(\sqrt{3}\), we can substitute the values into the formula:

\[ h = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} \times s = \frac{7/4}{2} \times 8 \]

First, simplify \(\frac{7/4}{2}\):

\[ \frac{7/4}{2} = \frac{7/4}{2/1} = \frac{7}{4} \times \frac{1}{2} = \frac{7}{8} \]

Now, multiply by the side length:

\[ h = \frac{7}{8} \times 8 = 7 \text{ meters} \]

Therefore, the approximate height of the equilateral triangle with a side length of 8 meters is \(\boxed{7}\) meters.