Question

10 mi
6 mi
b
What is the length of the missing leg?
b
miles

Answer 1

The length of the missing leg:

• b = 8 miles

Explanation:

Given

• c = 10 mi

• a = 6 mi

To determine:

The length of the leg b = ?

For a right-angled triangle, with sides a and b the hypotenuse c is defined as:

`c=√(a^2+b^2)`

We can find the length of the leg b using the formula

`b=√(c^2-a^2)`

substituting c = 10 and b = 6 in the formula

`b=√(10^2-6^2)`

`b=√(100-36)`

`b=√(64)`

`b=√(8^2)`

`\mathrm{Apply\:radical\:rule}:\quad \sqrt[n]{a^n}=a`

`b=8` mi

Therefore, the length of the missing leg:

• b = 8 miles