To find the value of side b in a scalene triangle with a given perimeter, we can use the definition of perimeter. The perimeter of a triangle is the sum of the lengths of all its sides. In this case, we know the perimeter is 546 cm, and we have the lengths of sides a and c.
The formula for the perimeter P of a triangle can be expressed as:
P = a + b + c
Substituting the known values into this formula gives us:
546 = 87 + b + 261
To solve for b, we should first combine the known sides:
546 = 348 + b
Next, we isolate b by subtracting 348 from both sides:
b = 546 - 348
Calculating that gives:
b = 198
So, the equation you would use to find the value of b is:
546 = 87 + b + 261
And the final result shows that side b measures 198 cm.