Question

If side a is 6 feet and side b is 4 feet how long is side c

Answer 1

Explanation:

If and only if this is a right triangle, the length of side c can be found using the Pythagorean Theorem:

c^2 = (6 ft)^2 + (4 ft)^2 = 36 + 16 = 52 ft

Then the length of side c is √52 ft, or √4√13 ft, or 2√13 ft.

If this is NOT a right triangle, then we must use the Law of Cosines:

c^2 = a^2 + b^2 - 2ab·cos C, where C is the angle opposite side c. Obviously this requires knowing the measure of Angle C.