Question

What is the length of the unknown leg in the right triangle?

A right triangle has a side with length StartRoot 23 EndRoot yards and hypotenuse with length StartRoot 87 EndRoot yards

Answer 1

x = 8

Explanation:

x² + (√23)² = (√87)²

x² = (√87)² - (√23)²

x² = 87 - 23

x² = 64

√x² = √64

x = 8

Answer 2

8 yards

Explanation:

Given:

Hypotenus: √87

length:√23

Required:

Find the length of the unknown leg

In Pythagoras theorem, the hypotenus squared is the sum of the square of two legs.

Thus:

x² + (√23)² = (√87)²

x² = (√87)² - (√23)²

x² = 87 - 23

x² = 64

Take the square root of both sides

√x² = √64

x = 8

Therefore, length of the unknown leg is 8 yards