The height of a triangle is 2 centimeters less than its base. If the area of the triangle is 39 square centimeters, find the base and height of the triangle. Round to the nearest tenth of a centimeter if necessary.
A) base: $7.9 \mathrm{~cm}$, height: $5.9 \mathrm{~cm}$
B) base: $9.9 \mathrm{~cm}$, height: $7.9 \mathrm{~cm}$
C) base: $11.9 \mathrm{~cm}$, height: $9.9 \mathrm{~cm}$
D) base: $7.9 \mathrm{~cm}$, height: $9.9 \mathrm{~cm}$

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The area of a triangle is given by $ \frac{1}{2} \times \text{base} \times \text{height} $. Let the base be $ b $ cm, then the height is $ b - 2 $ cm. Solving $ \frac{1}{2} \times b \times (b - 2) = 39 $ gives $ b = 9.9 $ cm and height $ = 7.9 $ cm.

The Height of a Triangle Is 2 Centimeters Less Than 7.9 cm7.9 \mathrm{~cm}7.9 cm

The Height of a Triangle Is 2 Centimeters Less Than $7.9 \mathrm{~cm}$