If the hypotenuse of a triangle is 13, and one side length is 5, what is the second side length?

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1 answer

To find the length of the second side of the right triangle, we can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states:

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

where \(c\) is the length of the hypotenuse and \(a\) and \(b\) are the lengths of the other two sides. Here, we know:

  • \(c = 13\)
  • \(a = 5\)
  • \(b = ?\)

Plugging the known values into the equation:

\[ 5^2 + b^2 = 13^2 \]

Calculating \(5^2\) and \(13^2\):

\[ 25 + b^2 = 169 \]

Now, isolate \(b^2\) by subtracting 25 from both sides:

\[ b^2 = 169 - 25 \] \[ b^2 = 144 \]

Taking the square root of both sides gives us:

\[ b = \sqrt{144} = 12 \]

Therefore, the length of the second side is 12.