What is the length of the missing leg? If necessary, round to the nearest ten

b =
inches

a = 10, c = 6

1 answer

To find the length of the missing leg \( b \) in a right triangle, we can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states:

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

where:

  • \( a \) is one leg,
  • \( b \) is the missing leg,
  • \( c \) is the hypotenuse.

Given:

  • \( a = 10 \) inches,
  • \( c = 6 \) inches.

However, it seems there might be an error in your provided values because the hypotenuse \( c \) should be the longest side of a right triangle. In any right triangle, \( c \) should be greater than \( a \).

If you meant \( c \) as a hypotenuse (which typically should be longer than the legs), then the given values do not create a valid right triangle.

If instead, the values are \( a = 6 \) inches (the shorter leg) and \( c = 10 \) inches (the hypotenuse), we can find \( b \) using the corrected values:

  1. Substitute the values into the Pythagorean theorem:

\[ 6^2 + b^2 = 10^2 \]

  1. Calculate the squares:

\[ 36 + b^2 = 100 \]

  1. Solve for \( b^2 \):

\[ b^2 = 100 - 36 \] \[ b^2 = 64 \]

  1. Take the square root of both sides:

\[ b = \sqrt{64} = 8 \text{ inches} \]

Thus, if we adjust for the correct positioning of \( a \) and \( c \), the length of the missing leg \( b \) would be 8 inches. If you need it rounded to the nearest ten, it would be 10 inches.

Please verify the values for clarity.