Question

In a right triangle, a and b are the

lengths of the legs and c is the length of
the hypotenuse. If a = 32 centimeters
and c = 40 centimeters, what is b? If
necessary, round your answer to the
nearest tenth.

Answer 1

`b=24\ cm`

Explanation:

Right Triangles

In a right triangle, the relationship between the hypotenuse and the two legs is known as the Pythagora's theorem. If c is the hypotenuse and a and b are the legs, then:

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

Solving for b:

`b=√(c^2-a^2)`

We are given the values c=40 cm, a=32 cm. Calculating b:

`b=√(40^2-32^2)`

`b=√(1600-1024)=√(576)`

`\boxed{b=24\ cm}`