Problem of the Week 3

Due Friday, October 2

A large tent is being set up for a fair. Two poles, QU and RT, are
placed perpendicular to the ground and 12 m apart. Pole QU is 4
m in length and pole RT is 7.5 m in length. A tarp is placed over
the poles and secured to the ground at P, 3 m from the base of
pole QU, and S, 4 m from the base of pole RT. Determine P Q + QR
+ RS, the length of the tarp.

Understanding the Problem:

The problem is asking us to find the lengths of RS,QR, and QP. We know
that TS has a length of 4, UT has a length of 12, RT has a length of 7.5, PU has a
length of 3, and QU has a length of 4.
Process:
Work

Explanation

2 2 2
a + b=c

To start off Im Going to use

Pythagorean Theorem to find the
Hypotenuse of the triangle QUP.

2 2 2
4+3=c

1.You would square 4 and 3

2

16 + 9 = c
2
16+9=c
2
25=c

2. Add the sum of 4 squared and 3

squared
3. Find Square root of 25
And you find out that the length for QP
is 5
Now we need to find the other
hypotenuse of the triangle RTS, using
pythagorean theorem.

2
2 2
7.5 + 4= c
2
56.3 + 16 = c
2
72.3=c

1.Square 7.5 and 4

8.5 = c

3. Find the square root of 72.3 to get

your answer for the length of SR

2.Then you add the squared numbers

The length of SR is 8.5

Once you have those numbers you can,
now you find what the length of QR is
1.First you draw a line perpendicular to
RT from point Q to Point.

2
2
2
12 + 3.5 = c

2. you would know that the long leg

would be 12 because its parallel to the
line UT and then you know the other
leg would be 3.5

2
144+12.3=c

3.Now that you know those lengths you

can use pythagreum therum to find the
length of QR

4. then you square the numbers

Solution: The side lengths of the tarp:

QR:12.5
SR: 8.5
QP:5
Full length of tarp: 26
Justification:
I know my answers are correct because all you really needed to do was
pythagoreum theorem and I feel really comfortable with problems that have to do
with pythagorean theorem. I got really stuck up on finding the length of QR, you
had to think outside of the box. Once I looked at it more than once and got another
pair of eyes to look at it and got it.