Triangles

[Raclel]

The legs of an isosceles triangle are 13 units long and the altitude to the base is 12 units long. Find the length of the base.

 

[soroban]

Hello, Raclel!

Did you make a sketch?

The legs of an isosceles triangle are 13 units long
and the altitude to the base is 12 units long.
Find the length of the base.

            B
            *
           /|\
          / | \
         /  |  \
     13 /   |   \ 13
       /    |12  \
      /     |     \
     /      |      \
  A * - - - * - - - * C
        x   D

We have right triangle \(\displaystyle BDA.\)

Can you find the third side \(\displaystyle x\) ?