right triangle PLEASE HELP

[trent449]

I need to write a spread sheet that will calculate the length of 2 unknown sides of a right triangle using the following information.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o> </o>
Here is what I know
1. I have a right triangle
2. I know the length of the hypotenuses
3. I know the ratio between the length of the other 2 sides
<o> </o>
I need to write and Excel file that will solve for the length of the other two sides
<o> </o>
The math look like a^2+b^2=c^2

with c being known and the ratio between a and b known<o></o>

 

[Peter_SSs]

Welcome to the MrExcel board!

Hmmm. Assignment question maybe?

See if these formulas (copied down) do what you want.

Excel Workbook
	A	B	C	D
1	Hypotenuse	Ratio a/b	Side a	Side b
2	10	0.33333333	3.162277632	9.48683299
3	5	1	3.535533906	3.535533906
4	100	6	98.63939238	16.43989873
Right Triangle

 

[Stormseed]

Peter, just curious, I have seen many users on different forums including MrExcel get offended or get impulsive if someone posts an "assignment" or "homework" question. What is the reason behind it ?

I think a question is a question and if it is an assignment question, well its none of our business because you are on a free board !

 

[Peter_SSs]

Peter, just curious, I have seen many users on different forums including MrExcel get offended or get impulsive if someone posts an "assignment" or "homework" question. What is the reason behind it ?

I think a question is a question and if it is an assignment question, well its none of our business because you are on a free board !

I don't think this is the place for this discussion. If you want to raise the issue (it has been discussed several times before) I suggest you start a thread (or continue an existing one) in The Lounge or About this Board. I point out though, that in this instance, I was neither offended nor impulsive and answered the question fully.

 

[Stormseed]

Man, you just made it obvious that you got offended

 

[Peter_SSs]

Man, you just made it obvious that you got offended

No, that is a mistaken interpretation on your behalf. If I was offended, I would not have given the OP a warm welcome to the board and I would not have answered the question.

 

[Jaafar Tribak]

Hi Peter,

Is it possible to know the length of the adjacent sides of the right rectangle without knowing the Ratio between them - (ie : just knowing the length of the hypotenuses) ?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Peter_SSs]

Hi Peter,

Is it possible to know the length of the adjacent sides of the right rectangle without knowing the Ratio between them - (ie : just knowing the length of the hypotenuses) ?

Thanks in advance.

No, for any given hypotenuse, there would be an infinite number of 'other side' combinations. For example, for a hypotenuse of 5, my example above gave a combination of equal 'other sides', but the other sides could also be:
3 and 4
2 and SQRT(21)
2.5 and SQRT(18.75)

In general, one side can be anything (say a) greater than 0 and less than 5 and the other side would be:
SQRT(5^2-a^2)
etc

 

[Stormseed]

No, that is a mistaken interpretation on your behalf. If I was offended, I would not have given the OP a warm welcome to the board and I would not have answered the question

I can show you many instances in your *POSTS* where you have discussed topics out of the main topic posted by the OP so why not this one ? Instead you give clarifications and justify your actions.

I was not born yesterday. You overlook the obvious

And now please close this topic right here because I do not intend to hijack someone's thread just for this heck and make the moderators unhappy.

 

[Jaafar Tribak]

No, for any given hypotenuse, there would be an infinite number of 'other side' combinations. For example, for a hypotenuse of 5, my example above gave a combination of equal 'other sides', but the other sides could also be:
3 and 4
2 and SQRT(21)
2.5 and SQRT(18.75)

In general, one side can be anything (say a) greater than 0 and less than 5 and the other side would be:
SQRT(5^2-a^2)
etc

You are right Peter. Thanks for the answer.

I guess if one knows the hypotenuse length And one of the angles i can work out the length of the two adjacent sides.

I wonder what the formula would be .

Long time since studying Geometry in high school - I really need a refresher

Regards.