If a bridge will hold only 4500 kilograms and an empty truck weighs 26500 hectograms, whats the heaviest load the truck can safely carry across the bridge? Give the answer in kilograms.

1850 kilograms

26500x0.1 (conversion rate from hg to kg) = 2.650 kg

4500-2650 = 1850

geometry: triangles

solvers

lessons

answers archive

call the larger triangle abc

then the smaller triangle cde is similar to abc (all angles are equal, aaa).  

ab is the side that is 36, and we wish to find de, the side corresponding to ab

area_cde = area_abc - area_cde --> area_abc / area_cde = 2

let x=length of de

ratio of areas = (ratio of sides)^2

+2+=+%2836%2fx%29%5e2+

+2+=+1296%2fx%5e2+

++x%5e2+=+1296%2f2+=+648+

25.45584