A right triangle has one angle that measures [tex]23^{\circ}[/tex]. The adjacent leg measures [tex]27.6 \, \text{cm}[/tex] and the hypotenuse measures [tex]30 \, \text{cm}[/tex].

What is the approximate area of the triangle? Round to the nearest tenth.

Area of a triangle [tex]= \frac{1}{2} b h[/tex]

A. [tex]68.7 \, \text{cm}^2[/tex]
B. [tex]161.8 \, \text{cm}^2[/tex]
C. [tex]381.3 \, \text{cm}^2[/tex]
D. [tex]450.0 \, \text{cm}^2[/tex]



Answer :

To find the area of the given right triangle, we can break the problem down into the following steps:

1. Identify the given values:
- Adjacent leg (base, \( b \)) \( = 27.6 \) cm
- Hypotenuse (c) \( = 30 \) cm

2. Calculate the length of the opposite leg (height, \( h \)):
- We use the Pythagorean theorem for this, \( c^2 = a^2 + b^2 \), where \( c \) is the hypotenuse, \( a \) is the adjacent side, and \( b \) is the opposite side.
- Rearrange the equation to solve for the opposite side (height, \( h \)):
[tex]\[ h^2 = c^2 - a^2 \][/tex]
[tex]\[ h = \sqrt{c^2 - a^2} \][/tex]
- Substitute the given values:
[tex]\[ h = \sqrt{30^2 - 27.6^2} \][/tex]
[tex]\[ h \approx 11.8 \][/tex] cm (approximation rounded to one decimal place for simplicity)

3. Calculate the area of the triangle using the formula \( A = \frac{1}{2} b h \):
- Substitute the values of the base \( b = 27.6 \) cm and height \( h \approx 11.8 \) cm:
[tex]\[ A = \frac{1}{2} \times 27.6 \times 11.8 \][/tex]
- Calculate the area:
[tex]\[ A \approx \frac{1}{2} \times 27.6 \times 11.8 \][/tex]
[tex]\[ A \approx 162.3 \][/tex] cm\(^2\) (approximation rounded to one decimal place)

Therefore, the approximate area of the triangle is \( 162.3 \) square centimeters.

Comparing this to the provided options:
- \( 68.7 \) cm\(^2\)
- \( 161.8 \) cm\(^2\)
- \( 381.3 \) cm\(^2\)
- \( 450.0 \) cm\(^2\)

The closest option is \( 161.8 \) cm\(^2\).

Thus, the approximate area of the triangle is [tex]\( 161.8 \)[/tex] cm[tex]\(^2\)[/tex].

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