Question

Find the length of the shorter leg of a right triangle if the longer leg is 15 feet more than the shorter leg and the hypotenuse is 15 feet less than twice the shorter leg

Answer 1

45

Explanation:

Let the length of the shorter leg be represented as x.

Let the length of the longer let let be represented as x+15

While the length of the hypotenuse be 2x-15.

From the knowledge of phythagoras theorem:

x^2+(x+15)^2 = (2x-15)^2

x^2+x^2+15x+15x+225 = 4x^2-30x-30x+225

2x^2+30x+225 = 4x^2-60x+225

2x^2-4x^2+30x+60x+225-225=0

-2x^2+90x+0= 0

2x^2-90x = 0

Divide through by 2

x^2-45x=0

x(x-45)=0

x = 0 or x-45=0

Considering x-45=0

x-45=0

x = 45

If x is for the shorter leg,

The length for the longer leg is: x+15

= 45+15

= 60

For the hypotenuse = 2x-15

= 2×45-15

= 90-15

= 75