Final answer:
The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution typically forms a curve with no 'missing side,' making it unclear how to answer the student's question about the length of a side of a triangle when no such triangle exists in the standard representation of a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question presented here deals with the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, which describes the predictable distribution of molecular speeds in a gas sample. Given that the question refers to the shape of a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution as a triangle and asks for the length of a 'missing side,' the context suggests that the inquiry is more mathematical or geometrical rather than physical, and such a triangular representation is not standard for a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution graph. Typically, this distribution forms a curve, not a triangle. Without additional context on what the 'missing side' refers to, it's not possible to provide a correct answer from the options given (a, b, c, d). Additionally, none of the presented excerpts or figures explicitly describe a situation where the distribution takes a triangular form with a missing side that needs to be calculated.
Since this might be a typo or a conceptual misunderstanding, the most professional response is to clarify the concept of Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution and its typical graphical representation, which is characteristically a curve with a peak at the most probable speed and a long tail representing higher molecular speeds.