Question

17mm, 15mm, and b
What is the length of the missing leg? If necessary, round to the nearest tenth.
b=___ millimeters

Answer 1

To find the length of the missing leg \( b \), we need more context about the problem. It seems like you may be referring to a right triangle, where 17 mm and 15 mm could be the lengths of the two legs, and \( b \) might be the hypotenuse or the length of the missing leg.

1. **If \( b \) is the hypotenuse:**
We can use the Pythagorean theorem:
\[
a^2 + b^2 = c^2
\]
Here, \( a = 15 \) mm and \( c = 17 \) mm. We can find \( b \) as follows:
\[
15^2 + b^2 = 17^2
\]
\[
225 + b^2 = 289
\]
\[
b^2 = 289 - 225
\]
\[
b^2 = 64
\]
\[
b = \sqrt{64} = 8 \text{ mm}
\]

2. **If \( b \) is one of the legs:**
Assuming \( b \) is the length of the missing leg and 17 mm is the hypotenuse:
\[
15^2 + b^2 = 17^2
\]
This set-up would be the same calculation as above, leading to:
\[
b = 8 \text{ mm}
\]

In both cases, if the problem is set up as a right triangle, the length of the missing leg \( b \) is \( 8 \) mm.

Please confirm if this is the case, or provide additional context if necessary!