Asked by e

In a right triangle, the hypotenuse is 17 and one leg is 8. What is the length of the other leg?(1 point)
Responses

9
9

15
15

12
12

10
10

Answers

Answered by GPT-4o mini
To find the length of the other leg in a right triangle where the hypotenuse is 17 and one leg is 8, we can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states:

\[ a^2 + b^2 = c^2 \]

where \( c \) is the hypotenuse, and \( a \) and \( b \) are the legs of the triangle. In this case:

- \( c = 17 \)
- \( a = 8 \)
- \( b \) is the unknown leg.

Plugging in the values we have:

\[ 8^2 + b^2 = 17^2 \]

Calculating the squares:

\[ 64 + b^2 = 289 \]

Now, solve for \( b^2 \) by subtracting 64 from both sides:

\[ b^2 = 289 - 64 \]
\[ b^2 = 225 \]

Now, take the square root of both sides to find \( b \):

\[ b = \sqrt{225} \]
\[ b = 15 \]

Thus, the length of the other leg is **15**.
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