Question

70 yd. 42 yd. what is the length of the missing leg? if necessary, round to the nearest tenth. a = \boxed{} yards submit

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

Let hypotenuse $c=70$, leg $b=42$. The theorem is $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$, so rearrange to $a = \sqrt{c^2 - b^2}$.

Step2: Calculate $c^2 - b^2$

$$\begin{align} 70^2 - 42^2 &= 4900 - 1764 \\ &= 3136 \end{align}$$

Step3: Find square root of result

$a = \sqrt{3136} = 56$

Answer:

56 yards