Question

The lengths of two sides of the right triangle ABC shown in the illustration are given. Find the length of the third side in feet.b= 8 ft and c= 17 ft

Answer 1

In order to find the length of the side a, use the Pythagoras theorem:

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

solve for a, as follow:

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

replace b = 8 ft and c = 17 ft and simplify:

$\begin{gathered} a=\sqrt[]{(17ft)^2-(8ft)^2} \\ a=\sqrt[]{225ft^2} \\ a=15ft \end{gathered}$

Hence, the length of the third side a is 15 ft