A right triangle shows the base with a value of 3, the hypotenuse on the left with a value of 15, and the perpendicular side to the base on the right with a question mark.

Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to find the unknown side length in the given triangle. Round your answer to the nearest tenth.

(1 point)
Responses

14.7
14.7

15.3
15.3

216
216

234

1 answer

To find the unknown side length of the right triangle using the Pythagorean Theorem, we can use the formula:

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

where:

  • \(a\) and \(b\) are the lengths of the legs of the triangle,
  • \(c\) is the length of the hypotenuse.

In this case:

  • The base \(a = 3\),
  • The hypotenuse \(c = 15\),
  • The unknown side \(b\) is what we need to find.

Substituting the values into the Pythagorean theorem:

\[ 3^2 + b^2 = 15^2 \]

Calculating \(3^2\) and \(15^2\):

\[ 9 + b^2 = 225 \]

Now, isolate \(b^2\):

\[ b^2 = 225 - 9 \] \[ b^2 = 216 \]

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

\[ b = \sqrt{216} \approx 14.6969 \]

Rounding to the nearest tenth, we find:

\[ b \approx 14.7 \]

Thus, the length of the unknown side is:

14.7