Final answer:
The ratio of the sides of the rectangle is 1:2.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ratio of the sides of the rectangle is 1:2.
Let's assume that the smallest side of the rectangle is 'x'. Since the diagonal is 3 times the smallest side, it can be represented as 3x.
According to the Pythagorean theorem, in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse (diagonal) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides (sides of the rectangle). So, we have:
x^2 + x^2 = (3x)^2
Simplifying the equation, we get:
2x^2 = 9x^2
Dividing both sides of the equation by x^2, we get:
2 = 9
This is not true, so our assumption that the ratio of the sides is 1:3 is incorrect. Therefore, the correct ratio is 1:2.
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