The lengths of the four sides of a quadrilateral (in centimeters) are consecutive integers. If the perimeter is 126 centimeters, find the value of the shortest of the four side lengths.Answer: centimeters
Q. The lengths of the four sides of a quadrilateral (in centimeters) are consecutive integers. If the perimeter is 126 centimeters, find the value of the shortest of the four side lengths.Answer: centimeters
Denote Shortest Side: Let's denote the shortest side of the quadrilateral as x (in centimeters). Since the sides are consecutive integers, the other three sides can be represented as x+1, x+2, and x+3. The perimeter of the quadrilateral is the sum of its side lengths.So, the equation for the perimeter is:x+(x+1)+(x+2)+(x+3)=126
Simplify Equation: Now, let's simplify the equation by combining like terms: 4x+6=126
Subtract to Isolate x: Next, we subtract 6 from both sides of the equation to isolate the term with x: 4x+6−6=126−64x=120
Divide to Solve x: Now, we divide both sides of the equation by 4 to solve for x:44x=4120x=30
Verify Solution: We have found that the shortest side length, x, is 30 centimeters. To ensure there are no math errors, we can check our work by adding the side lengths and verifying that they equal the perimeter:30+31+32+33=126
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