Question

17 km
15 km
a
what is the length of the missing leg? if necessary, round to the nearest tenth.
a =
kilometers

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

Let hypotenuse $c=17$ km, leg $b=15$ km. The theorem is $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$, so rearrange to solve for $a$:
$a = \sqrt{c^2 - b^2}$

Step2: Substitute values into formula

$a = \sqrt{17^2 - 15^2}$

Step3: Calculate squares

$17^2 = 289$, $15^2 = 225$
$a = \sqrt{289 - 225}$

Step4: Compute difference and square root

$a = \sqrt{64} = 8$

Answer:

8 kilometers