Question

The lengths of two sides of the right triangle ABC shown in the illustration are given. Find the length of the third side in inches. a= 16 in and c= 34 in

Answer 1

To be able to find the lengths of a right triangle, we can use the Pythagorean Theorem.

`c^2=a^2+b^2`

Since it is already given the value of "a" and "c", let's use the equation above to solve for "b" by substituting the values of "a" and "c".

`\begin{gathered} 34^2=16^2+b^2 \\ 1156=256+b^2 \\ b^2=1156-256 \\ b^2=900 \\ \sqrt[]{b^2}=\sqrt[]{900} \\ b=30 \end{gathered}`

Therefore, the length of side b is 30 inches.