need help on a very simple geometry problem

Modernization

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data
a side of a regular hexagon is twice the square root of its apothem. Find the length of the apothem and the side


2. Relevant equations
a formula for special triangle
90 degree side is doubled the 30 degree side, and 60 degree side is root 3 times the 30 degree side

3. The attempt at a solution

after drawing the pictures and do the math, i got:
side: 2 times square root of a; a stands for apothem, an unknown value
apothem: square root of a times square root of three

gammamcc

How about making a formula for the ratio length of side and apothem? Replace the side length of the hexagon from the info. Solve.

HallsofIvy

In your second line, you say that "a stands for apothem" (You mean that a stands for the length of the apothem- let's be precise!) but in the third line you say "apothem: square root of a times square root of three". Obviously a is not the length of the apothem in that line; what is a?

Modernization

My answer was wrong. I'm guessing there's another method to solve this, like plugging in numbers... Instead of making X the unknown value, i used "a" .

gammamcc

Try this
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Apothem.html

and this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apothem