Question

This geometry task may be helpful for devising amathematicalprocedure for the next lab.

A right triangle has legs ofknown lengths 2L and h. Find thelength of the line segment x whichis parallel to side h. Explainyour reasoning. Image in weblinkbelow:

http://paer.rutgers.edu/194/Downloads/194LAB07.pdfRY4bB71082bfFuqzISDrWGDOWfNgGl208qJNQTAhpzWjb_ahDlhGHPLz19S1Eq95&q=cache%3AnpyQu9LlzykJ%3Apaer.rutgers.edu%2F194%2FDownloads%2F194LAB07.pdf%20this%20geometry%20task%20may%20be%20helpful%20for%20devising%20a%20mathematical%20procedure%20for%20the%20next%20lab.%20A%20right%20triangle&docid=5c8a26db354186a31ce6383

POSTSCRIPT: EFFECTS OFASSUMPTIONS

The marbled murrelet is asmall bird that lives in the PacificNorthwest where old-growthforests are close to the sea. It nests inthe forests and feedsoffshore. It is now highly endangeredthroughout its range, whichextends from Northern California toAlaska.

These birds are extremelyvulnerable to loss of their habitat,because they nest exclusivelyin the same old-growth coniferoustrees that are prime targets forlogging. Considerable efforts havebeen made to protect the speciesby restricting timber operations inthe areas in which they areknown to nest. Scientists predicted thatthe population should growback. However until recently naturalistswere puzzledand

dismayed because thepopulation of marbled murrelets did notseem to be recovering oreven stabilizing.

A recent study suggests thereason why this testing experimentin conservation did not confirmthe prediction. The scientistsoverlooked an important assumption:murrelets can also be threatenedby man's activity at sea.Overfishing has severely reduced thepopulation of small,energy-rich fish that murrelets rely upon formost of theircalories.

Climate change of uncertainorigin may have also disrupted thefood chain, and El Nino currentsmay have changed the distributionof the phytoplankton that formsthe base of all marine life.

Further efforts to preservethe marbled murrelet must be basedon accurate assumptions aboutthe origin of their difficulties.

Could naturalists have betterconsidered their originalassumptions years ago? What would yousay?