Answer: 4
Explanation:
With the pythagorean theorem, a²+b²=c².
C² is always the hypotenuse, which in this case is
. The length of the base, a², is 2, ad we don't know b so we'll substitute it as "x".
So...
(2)²+(x)²=
.
Simplify to get 4+(x)²=(
)².
Now, to write as a single radical, we need to square the two ("undoing" the square root). So, we get (
)², which is (
)². Since we're squaring a square root, the square root almost "cancels out", leaving just the 20.
Now going back to our pythagorean theorem equation,
4+(x)²=20. Now we can subtract 4, getting (x)²=16. Hence, x= ± 4, and since a side can't be egative, it's just 4.
VERIFICATION: (4)²+(2)²=20, =16+4=20 ✓