Question

one of the legs of a right triangle measures 9 cm and its hypotenuse measures 15 cm. find the measure of the other leg. if necessary, round to the nearest tenth.
answer attempt 1 out of 2

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Pythagorean theorem

For a right triangle, \(a^2 + b^2 = c^2\), where \(c\) is hypotenuse, \(a\) and \(b\) are legs. Let one leg \(a = 9\), hypotenuse \(c = 15\), find \(b\).

$$b^2 = c^2 - a^2$$

Step2: Substitute values

$$b^2 = 15^2 - 9^2 = 225 - 81 = 144$$

Step3: Solve for \(b\)

$$b = \sqrt{144} = 12.0$$

(rounded to nearest tenth)

Answer:

12.0