Question

17 ft. 15 ft. b what is the length of the missing leg? if necessary, round to the nearest tenth. b = \square feet submit

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

For a right triangle, $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$, where $c=17$, $a=15$. Rearrange to solve for $b$:
$b = \sqrt{c^2 - a^2}$

Step2: Substitute known values

$b = \sqrt{17^2 - 15^2}$

Step3: Calculate squares

$17^2=289$, $15^2=225$, so:
$b = \sqrt{289 - 225}$

Step4: Compute difference and square root

$b = \sqrt{64} = 8$

Answer:

$b = 8$ feet