In a triangle with two equal sides and a perimeter of 50cm, the third side is 18cm.

In a triangle with two equal sides and a perimeter of 50cm, the third side is 18cm. How many times is the first side of a triangle smaller than its third side?

Formula for the perimeter of an isosceles triangle:

P = 2a + b, where a – equal sides of the triangle, b – the base of the triangle.

Let us express one of the equal sides from this formula:

a = (P – b): 2;

Let’s find this side:

(50 – 18): 2 = 32: 2 = 16 cm – the length of the first side.

Let’s calculate how many times the first side is less than the third (base):

18: 16 = 1.125 times – this is the number of times, the first side is less than the third (base).

Answer: the first side is 1.125 times less than the third (base).