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The area of a right triangle is 44m². Find the lengths of its legs if one of the legs is 3 meters longer than the other?

User ISD
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Final answer:

To find the lengths of the legs of a right triangle, we can use the Pythagorean theorem. This theorem states that the sum of the squares of the lengths of the two legs is equal to the square of the length of the hypotenuse. By setting up an equation using the formula for the area of a triangle, we can solve for the lengths of the legs.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the lengths of the legs of a right triangle, we can use the Pythagorean theorem. This theorem states that in a right triangle, the sum of the squares of the lengths of the two legs is equal to the square of the length of the hypotenuse.

Let's assume that one leg of the right triangle is x meters. According to the given information, the other leg is 3 meters longer, so the length of the other leg is (x + 3) meters.

Using the formula for the area of a triangle, 1/2 * base * height, we can write the equation: 1/2 * x * (x + 3) = 44. Solving this equation will give us the lengths of the legs of the triangle.

User Jwanagel
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