The perimeter of a triangle is [tex]4 \, \text{cm}[/tex]. If the third side is the smallest side, find the length of the third side.



Answer :

Sure, let's solve the problem step-by-step.

### Problem:
You are given a triangle with a perimeter of [tex]\( 4 \ \text{cm} \)[/tex]. Two sides of this triangle are each [tex]\( 1 \ \text{cm} \)[/tex]. We need to find the length of the third side.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. Understand the Perimeter of the Triangle:
The perimeter of a triangle is the sum of the lengths of all three sides. If the sides are [tex]\(a\)[/tex], [tex]\(b\)[/tex], and [tex]\(c\)[/tex], then:
[tex]\[ \text{Perimeter} = a + b + c \][/tex]
Here, the given perimeter is [tex]\( 4 \ \text{cm} \)[/tex].

2. Substitute the Known Values:
Let the three sides of the triangle be [tex]\(a\)[/tex], [tex]\(b\)[/tex], and [tex]\(c\)[/tex].
- [tex]\(a = 1 \ \text{cm}\)[/tex]
- [tex]\(b = 1 \ \text{cm}\)[/tex]
- [tex]\(c\)[/tex] is the unknown side we need to find.

Given the perimeter:
[tex]\[ a + b + c = 4 \ \text{cm} \][/tex]

3. Plug in the Given Side Lengths:
Substitute the known values of [tex]\(a\)[/tex] and [tex]\(b\)[/tex] into the equation:
[tex]\[ 1 + 1 + c = 4 \][/tex]

4. Solve for [tex]\(c\)[/tex]:
Combine the known values:
[tex]\[ 2 + c = 4 \][/tex]
Next, isolate [tex]\(c\)[/tex] by subtracting 2 from both sides:
[tex]\[ c = 4 - 2 \][/tex]
[tex]\[ c = 2 \][/tex]

5. Conclusion:
The length of the third side of the triangle is [tex]\( 2 \ \text{cm} \)[/tex].

### Verification
To ensure our solution is correct, let’s verify the perimeter with the obtained side lengths:
[tex]\[ 1 + 1 + 2 = 4 \ \text{cm} \][/tex]
The calculated perimeter matches the given perimeter, confirming that the solution is correct.

So, the length of the third side in your triangle is [tex]\( 2 \ \text{cm} \)[/tex].

Other Questions