Question

For the following right traingle, find the side length x. Round your answer to the nearest hundredth​

Answer 1

7.21

Explanation:

The Pythagoras theorem allows us to solve for unknown sides of right triangles.

Right Triangles

Right triangles are triangles that have one 90-degree angle (aka a right angle). The side directly across from the right angle is called the hypotenuse. The hypotenuse is always the longest side of a triangle. The other 2 sides of a right triangle are called the legs of the triangle.

Pythagorean Theorem

The Pythagorean theorem states that a² + b² = c², where a and b are the legs of the triangle and c is the hypotenuse. To find the missing side we can plug in the values we know and solve for b.

• 12² + b² = 14²

Then, subtract 12² from both sides.

• 14² - 12² = b²
• 52 = b²

Finally, take the square root of both sides. When you square root a number, the resulting value is plus or minus, but since we are finding a distance, we will only take the positive answer.

• 7.21 ≈ b