SOLVING
![\Large\maltese\underline{\textsf{A. What is Asked}}](https://img.qammunity.org/2023/formulas/mathematics/high-school/eny8z2sl91un92xqoy4mad1exng72op1fx.png)
Find the missing side of the triangle.
![\Large\maltese\underline{\textsf{B. This problem has been solved!}}](https://img.qammunity.org/2023/formulas/mathematics/high-school/az8y8ule58un9ihwt7q1qdk6axyr7mexph.png)
We should find the leg of this right triangle, not the hypotenuse.
The hypotenuse, the longest side, is already given to us.
We can find it using Pythagoras' Theorem:
.
We know b and c, we need to find a.
| square
| subtract 81
| square-root both sides
![\bf{a=\pm12}](https://img.qammunity.org/2023/formulas/mathematics/high-school/9zia3dveg178ek8z346unrwhuoh997cm0z.png)
And we should automatically cross out this extraneous solution of "a=-12", because side lengths can't be negative!
![\cline{1-2}](https://img.qammunity.org/2023/formulas/mathematics/high-school/1bgc0rhrswo74sfggdooh1unx2xnxsfwxj.png)
![\bf{Result:}](https://img.qammunity.org/2023/formulas/mathematics/high-school/6zfv2qmtt6zv33i7jwq4nzwxvhcl8n9vy2.png)
![\bf{a=12}](https://img.qammunity.org/2023/formulas/mathematics/high-school/crssir8cnvn5pe7txdvjemeze510b5e297.png)
![\LARGE\boxed{\bf{aesthetic\\ot1\theta\ell}}](https://img.qammunity.org/2023/formulas/mathematics/high-school/re5yjyhmtxw39om8lvae2rkkarz4qfekol.png)