The hypotenuse of a right triangle measures 17cm and one of its legs measures 8cm. Find the measure of the other leg. If necessary, round to the nearest tenth.Answer: □cm
Q. The hypotenuse of a right triangle measures 17cm and one of its legs measures 8cm. Find the measure of the other leg. If necessary, round to the nearest tenth.Answer: □cm
Identify Formula: Identify the formula to use for a right triangle.We will use the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse c is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides a and b. The formula is c2=a2+b2.
Plug in Values: Plug in the known values into the Pythagorean theorem.We know the hypotenuse c is 17 cm and one leg a is 8 cm. We need to find the other leg b.So, 172=82+b2.
Calculate Squares: Calculate the squares of the known sides.172=289 and 82=64.So, 289=64+b2.
Subtract Squares: Subtract the square of the known leg from the square of the hypotenuse to find the square of the other leg. 289−64=b2. 225=b2.
Take Square Root: Take the square root of both sides to solve for b.225=b.15=b.
Check Answer: Check if the answer is reasonable.The other leg b is 15 cm, which is less than the hypotenuse 17 cm and greater than the known leg 8 cm, which makes sense in the context of a right triangle.