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Use the equation to find the length of the missing leg measure.

a^(2) + 16^(2) = 20^(2)

1. Evaluate the powers: a^(2) + _ = 400
2. Isolate the variable: a^(2) = _
3. Take the square root of both sides: \sqrt(a^(2)) = \sqrt(144)
4. The missing side length is a = _

1 answer

Let's solve the equation step by step using the provided format:

  1. Evaluate the powers: \[ a^{2} + 16^{2} = 20^{2} \] Calculating the squares, we have: \[ a^{2} + 256 = 400 \]

  2. Isolate the variable: \[ a^{2} = 400 - 256 \] \[ a^{2} = 144 \]

  3. Take the square root of both sides: \[ \sqrt{a^{2}} = \sqrt{144} \]

  4. The missing side length is: \[ a = 12 \]

So, the missing side length is \( a = 12 \).