Question

In a right triangle, a and b are the
lengths of the legs and c is the length of
the hypotenuse. If a = 32 centimeters
and c = 40 centimeters, what is b? If
necessary, round your answer to the
nearest tenth.

Answer 1

Answer:

$b=24\ cm$

Step-by-step explanation:

Right Triangles

In a right triangle, the relationship between the hypotenuse and the two legs is known as the Pythagora's theorem. If c is the hypotenuse and a and b are the legs, then:

$c^2=a^2+b^2$

Solving for b:

$b=\sqrt{c^2-a^2}$

We are given the values c=40 cm, a=32 cm. Calculating b:

$b=\sqrt{40^2-32^2}$

$b=\sqrt{1600-1024}=\sqrt{576}$

$\boxed{b=24\ cm}$