Answer:
(c) 15 units
Explanation:
Given a right triangle with hypotenuse 17 and one leg 8, you want the measure of the other leg.
Pythagorean theorem
The Pythagorean theorem tells you the relationship between the sides of a right triangle:
a² +b² = c² . . . . . . where c is the hypotenuse
Application
a² +8² = 17² . . . . . . using given values of b, c
a² = 289 -64 = 225 . . . . subtract 8²
a = √225 = 15
The length of segment BC is 15 units.
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Additional comment
These side lengths {8, 15, 17} can be considered to be a "Pythagorean triple." It is one of a few that often appear in algebra and geometry problems. Others include {3, 4, 5}, {5, 12, 13}, {7, 24, 25}. Multiples of these are also commonly seen, such as 2×{3, 4, 5} = {6, 8, 10}.