Question

Find the length of side a

Answer 1

a=4

Explanation:

In this problem, you would use Pythagorean Theorem which is

a² + b² = c²

a and b are legs and c is the hypotenuse. In this problem, a and 3 are the legs while 5 is the hypotenuse. So...

a=a

b=3

c=5

Now substitute the values into the equation

a²+3²=5²

Exponents

a²+9=25

Subtract 9 on both sides

a²= 16

Square root on both sides

√a²=√16

Simplify

a=4

Hope this helped!

Answer 2

A

Explanation:

Using Pythagoras' identity in the right triangle.

The square on the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares on the other 2 sides , that is

a² + 3² = 5²

a² + 9 = 25 ( subtract 9 from both sides )

a² = 16 ( take square root of both sides )

a =
`√(16)` = 4 → A