Question

in a right triangle, a and b are the lengths of the legs and c is the length of the hypotenuse. if a = 4.6 feet and c = 6.5 feet, what is b? if necessary, round to the nearest tenth. b = feet

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

$c^{2}=a^{2}+b^{2}$, so $b^{2}=c^{2}-a^{2}$

Step2: Substitute given values

$b^{2}=6.5^{2}-4.6^{2}=42.25 - 21.16=21.09$

Step3: Solve for b

$b=\sqrt{21.09}\approx4.6$

Answer:

$4.6$