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The shortest side of a right triangle is 16 inches long. The difference between the lengths of the other two sides is 4 inches. Find the missing sides. Use exact values.

User Raldi
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The missing sides of the right triangle are 30 inches and 34 inches.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the missing sides of the right triangle, we can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides. Let's assume that the other two sides are x and x + 4 inches. Using the Pythagorean theorem, we can write the equation: 16² + x² = (x + 4)². Expanding this equation gives: 256 + x² = x² + 8x + 16.

Simplifying it further, we get: 8x = 240. Dividing both sides by 8, we find that x = 30 inches.

Therefore, the missing sides of the right triangle are 30 inches and 34 inches.

User Ahsankhan
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