I am so confused... what is this question asking me to do? Can someone reword this for me or tell me what I am supposed to do to solve it?

Determine whether the triple of numbers can be the sides of a right triangle. 9, 12, 16

8 answers

I believe this question is asking you to see if those values are legitimate for a right triangle. So you assign one leg to 9, one to 12 and the hypotenuse to 16. Then see if a^2 + b^2 = c^2. If so those numbers could form a right triangle; if not, then no.
For example, the triangle with legs of 3 and 4 with a hypotenuse of 5 would be a right triangle. 3^2 + 4^2 = 5^2
why does it say the triple of numbers? Is that just a confusing way to say see if the three numbers can be the sides of a right triangle?
I think that's just another way of saying, "Do (or Can) the following three numbers constitute a right triangle?"
Oh please help me.... I need to figure out what the external degree is on this triangle which is X but I don't know where to start. I know how to solve normal algebra equations to find N but there are 3 instead of two. Can you point me in the right direction

�Úx = ( 197 - 5n)�‹, �Úy = ( 5n + 21)�‹, �Úz = (n + 11)�‹
I don't understand your second question AND I don't know what the symbols stand for.
Well this is what i've got so far. I know the area of a triangle is 180 degrees. the interior measurements that are given are y=(5n + 21) & z=(n + 11). I need to figure out the external measurment that is x = 197-5n. Do I need to solve the first two in order to solve X?
and does the area of the triangle play a part?
Your second question makes little sense.
The area of a triangle is not measured in degrees.
You probably are given the three angles as
5n+21, n+11, and 197-5n

But that can't be right either, since "their sum equal to 180" yields a value of n = -49, which would make two of the angles negative.

AHHH, I think you mean that 197-5n is an exterior angle and the other two are interior and opposite angles.
In that case the exterior angle is equal to the sum of the two interior and opposite angles or...
5n+21 + n+11 = 197-5n, which gives us
n = 15
so the interior angles are 96 and 26 and the exterior is equal to 122

(notice 96+26 = 122)
Thank you so much! That is what I got too!! Of course the way you solved it made it look so much easier then what I did LOL! But thank you sooo much for confirming my answer!! (and making future questions like that easier for me)