# Solve Triangle Given Its Perimeter, Altitute and Angle - Problem With Solution

Solve a triangle, by finding all its sides, given its perimeter, altitude and angle.

 Problem : In the figure below, ABC is a triangle whose perimeter has a length of 100 units and the length of the altitude h is equal to 18 units. The size of the internal angle A is equal to 560 . Find all sides of the triangle. Solution to Problem : The given perimeter p = 100 gives an equation as follows a + b + c = p      (equation 1) The area of the triangle may be calculated using sides c and b as follows area = (1 / 2) b c sin (A) But the area of the triangle may also be calculated using the altitude h and corresponding base a as follows area = (1 / 2) h a We now combine the two expressions for the area to obtain an equation as follows b c sin (A) = h a      (equation 2) A third equation is obtained using the law of cosine as follows a 2 = b 2 + c 2 - 2 b c cos (A)      (equation 3) We now have 3 equations with 3 unknowns which we have to solve. Equation (1) gives a = p - (b + c) Substitute the above into equation (3) to obtain (p - (b + c)) 2 = b 2 + c 2 - 2 b c cos (A) Expand the left hand side of the above equation and simplify p 2 + (b + c)) 2 - 2 p (b + c) = b 2 + c 2 - 2 b c cos (A) p 2 + b 2 + c 2 + 2 b c - 2 p (b + c) = b 2 + c 2 - 2 b c cos (A) p 2 + 2 b c - 2 p (b + c) = - 2 b c cos (A)      (equation 4) We now use a = p - (b + c) in equation (2) and write b c sin (A) = h (p - (b + c)) which may be written as follows b c sin (A) = h p - h (b + c)      (equation 5) We now define two variables as follows. Z = b + c and Y = b c and rewrite equations 4 and 5 as follows. p 2 + 2 Y - 2 p Z = - 2 Y cos (A) Y sin (A) = h p - h Z The above equations make a system of linear equations with unknowns Z and Y. - 2 p Z + 2 (1 + cos (A)) Y = - p 2 h Z + sin (A) Y = h p We now substitute p, h and angle A by their values. - 200 Z + Y (2 + 2 cos (56)) = - 10000 18 Z + Y sin (56) = 1800 Solve the above system to obtain Z = 62.6456 and Y = 811.035 We now substitute Z by b + c and Y by b c to obtain two equations in b and c as follows. b + c = 62.6456 and b c = 811.035 We now combine the above equations to obtain an equation in one unknown as follows. b + 811.035 / b = 62.6456 Multiply all terms to obtain a quadratic equation. b 2 + 811.035 = 62.6456 b Solve to obtain. b = 44.3643 and b = 18.2812 We now use the equation b c = 811.035 to find c. for b = 44.3643 , c = 18.2812 and for b = 18.2812, c = 44.3643 It is in fact one solution since c and b are interchangeable. let the solution be b = 44.3643 units and c = 18.2812 units and find the third side using equation (3) a 2 = b 2 + c 2 - 2 b c cos (A) a = sqrt [ 44.3643 2 + 18.2812 2 - 2*44.3643*18.2812 cos (56) ] a = 37.3543 units As an example check that the perimeter of the triangle is equal to 100 units. More references to geometry problems. Geometry Tutorials, Problems and Interactive Applets.