Question

Instructions: Find the missing side lengths. Leave your answers as radicals in the simplest form. I need help with finding what a is.

Answer 1

a = 17

Explanation:

using the cosine ratio in the right triangle and the exact value

cos45° =
`(1)/(√(2) )` , then

cos45° =
`(adjacent)/(hypotenuse)` =
`(a)/(17√(2) )` =
`(1)/(√(2) )` ( cross- multiply )

a ×
`√(2)` = 17
`√(2)` ( divide both sides by
`√(2)` )

a = 17

b = 17 since the legs of an isosceles triangle are congruent