Question

1. chris wants to reduce a triangular pattern with sides 16, 16, and 20 centimeters. if the longest side of the new pattern is to be 15 cm, how long should the other two sides be?

Explanation:

Step1: Determine the scale factor

The original longest side is 20 cm, and the new longest side is 15 cm. The scale factor \( k \) is the ratio of the new length to the original length, so \( k=\frac{15}{20}=\frac{3}{4} \).

Step2: Calculate the length of the other sides

The original other two sides are both 16 cm. To find the new length of these sides, we multiply the original length by the scale factor. So the new length \( l = 16\times\frac{3}{4}=12 \) cm.

Answer:

The other two sides should each be 12 centimeters.