11-16-2022, 12:30 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-16-2022, 12:35 AM by PhilOfPerth.
Edit Reason: clarifying
)
One for the Math (or ”outside-the-box-thinking”) gurus:
Given an isoscles triangle ABC, with sides b and c (the sides opposite B and C) both 5 units in length, and with angle A=45degrees, is there a (simple?) way to find the length of side a, without resorting to pre-determined trig tables like sin, cos and tan, or pi?
The reason I don’t want to use these is I’m trying to demonstrate how pi relates to the circumference of a circle, so I don’t want to involve anything that relies on pi – that would be “bootstrapping”, sort of like lifting oneself up by the bootlaces.
Given an isoscles triangle ABC, with sides b and c (the sides opposite B and C) both 5 units in length, and with angle A=45degrees, is there a (simple?) way to find the length of side a, without resorting to pre-determined trig tables like sin, cos and tan, or pi?
The reason I don’t want to use these is I’m trying to demonstrate how pi relates to the circumference of a circle, so I don’t want to involve anything that relies on pi – that would be “bootstrapping”, sort of like lifting oneself up by the bootlaces.
Of all the places on Earth, and all the planets in the Universe, I'd rather live here (Perth, W.A.) 