Question

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30 km
a
18 km
what is the length of the missing leg? if necessary, round to the nearest tenth.
a = kilometers
submit
work it out

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Pythagorean theorem

For a right triangle, \( c^2 = a^2 + b^2 \), where \( c \) is hypotenuse, \( a,b \) are legs. Here, \( c = 30 \), \( b = 18 \), solve for \( a \): \( a^2 = c^2 - b^2 \)

Step2: Calculate \( c^2 - b^2 \)

\( 30^2 - 18^2 = 900 - 324 = 576 \)

Step3: Take square root of 576

\( a = \sqrt{576} = 24.0 \) (since 24 squared is 576, no rounding needed)

Answer:

24.0