Final answer:
To solve the equation 8²=7²+b², isolate b on one side by subtracting 49 from both sides and then taking the square root of both sides to find b ≈ ±3.9.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve the equation 8²=7²+b², we need to isolate b on one side of the equation. Starting with the given equation, we have:
8² = 7² + b²
64 = 49 + b²
Subtracting 49 from both sides, we get:
15 = b²
Taking the square root of both sides, we find:
b = ±√15
Rounding √15 to the nearest tenth, we have:
b ≈ ±3.9