If the equation 18^2 + b^2 = 30^2 is found to be true, what do we know about the triangle?(1 point)

Responses

The triangle is a right triangle, and the legs are 30 and 24.
The triangle is a right triangle, and the legs are 30 and 24.

The triangle is a right triangle with a missing side of 34.99.
The triangle is a right triangle with a missing side of 34.99.

The triangle is a right triangle with a missing leg length of 24.
The triangle is a right triangle with a missing leg length of 24.

The triangle is a right triangle, and the hypotenuse is 18.

1 answer

To determine the properties of the triangle described by the equation \( 18^2 + b^2 = 30^2 \), we can analyze the equation itself.

This equation resembles the Pythagorean theorem, which states that for a right triangle, the sum of the squares of the lengths of the two legs equals the square of the length of the hypotenuse. In this case:

  • The hypotenuse is 30.
  • One leg is 18.
  • The other leg is \( b \).

We can find \( b \) using the equation:

\[ b^2 = 30^2 - 18^2 \]

Calculating this gives:

\[ b^2 = 900 - 324 = 576 \]

Taking the square root of both sides gives:

\[ b = \sqrt{576} = 24 \]

Thus, we have confirmed that the triangle is a right triangle, the legs are \( 18 \) and \( 24 \), and the hypotenuse is \( 30 \).

From the options provided, the correct response is:

The triangle is a right triangle with a missing leg length of 24.