Question

what is the length of the missing leg? if necessary, round to the nearest tenth. b = kilometers

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

In a right - triangle, \(a^{2}+b^{2}=c^{2}\), where \(c\) is the hypotenuse. Here \(c = 5\) km and \(a = 3\) km, and we want to find \(b\). So \(b=\sqrt{c^{2}-a^{2}}\).

Step2: Substitute values

Substitute \(c = 5\) and \(a = 3\) into the formula: \(b=\sqrt{5^{2}-3^{2}}=\sqrt{25 - 9}=\sqrt{16}\).

Step3: Calculate result

\(\sqrt{16}=4\)

Answer:

4