Question

in the right triangle shown, what is the length of $overline{pq}$? 8.5 m 15 m 4 m 25 m

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Pythagorean theorem

For right triangle: $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$

Step2: Assign values to variables

Let $PQ=a$, $8=b$, $17=c$

Step3: Rearrange to solve for $a$

$a = \sqrt{c^2 - b^2}$

Step4: Substitute and calculate

$a = \sqrt{17^2 - 8^2} = \sqrt{289 - 64} = \sqrt{225} = 15$

Answer:

15 m