A Triangular Sail: Finding the Base

About Triangular Sail

A triangular sail is a sail that is shaped like a triangle, commonly used in sailing boats. It is essential for capturing the wind and propelling the boat forward. In this case, we have a triangular sail with a height of 32 feet and an area of 320 square feet.

Finding the Base of the Sail

To find the base of the sail, we can use the formula for the area of a triangle, which is Area = 1/2 * base * height. Given that the area is 320 square feet and the height is 32 feet, we can rearrange the formula to solve for the base.

Final answer: Using the formula for the area of a triangle, we find that the base of the sail, given an area of 320 square feet and a height of 32 feet, is 20 feet.

Explanation

In mathematics, the area of a triangle is given by the formula Area = 1/2 * base * height. Substituting the given values of area and height into the formula, we can solve for the base.

Base = 2 * Area / height

Substituting our values into this formula, we get: Base = 2 * 320 / 32 = 20 feet. Therefore, the base of the sail is 20 feet.

Now that we have found the base of the sail, we can better understand the dimensions of the triangular sail and how it interacts with the wind to propel the boat forward.