Final answer:
The correct answer is to rearrange the formula by subtracting a² from both sides and then taking the square root, resulting in b = √(c² - a²).
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks to rearrange the formula c² = a² + b² to solve for b. To isolate b, we subtract a² from both sides of the equation to get c² - a² = b². Then, to undo the square on b, we take the square root of both sides, which yields b = √(c² - a²). This manipulation correctly isolates b, giving us option a) b = √(c² - a²) as the correct answer.