A flat screen television is sized depending on the length of the diagonal (ex: a 40 inch flat screen has a 40 inch diagonal ). If a 32 inch television has a width that is 5 inches longer than its length. Determine the dimensions of the television (using exponential applications)

Answer 1

Use Pythagoras ...

shorter side = x
longer side = x+5
diagonal = 32

x^2 + (x+5)^2 = 32^2
x^2 + x^2 + 10x + 25 - 1024 = 0
2x^2 + 10x - 999 = 0
by formula:
x = 19.99 or appr 20 or a negative

so the two sides are appr 20 inches by 25 inches