Given a regular quadrangular pyramid, the height of which is 12 cm and the apothem is 20 cm. Find the perimeter of the base.

The lateral edges of the pyramid are equal, then the triangle СРD is isosceles, РС = РD, which means that the height of РН will also be the median of the triangle and the apothem of the pyramid.

Apothem РН and the height PO form a right-angled triangle РOН, in which, according to the Pythagorean theorem, we determine the length of the leg OH.

OH ^ 2 = PH ^ 2 – PO ^ 2 = 20 ^ 2 – 12 ^ 2 = 400 – 144 = 256.

OH = 16 cm.

Since the pyramid is regular, there is a square at its base, then the triangle BCD is isosceles, BC = DC, and the OH segment is its middle line, which means BC = 2 * OH = 2 * 16 = 32 cm.

Determine the perimeter of the base.

Ravsd = 4 * BC = 128 cm.

Answer: The perimeter of the base of the pyramid is 128cm.



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