Question

17 km
15 km
what is the length of the missing leg? if necessary, round to the nearest tenth.
a = \boxed{} kilometers
submit

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Pythagorean theorem

For a right triangle, \( c^2 = a^2 + b^2 \), where \( c \) is hypotenuse, \( a,b \) are legs. Here, \( c = 17 \), \( b = 15 \), solve for \( a \). So \( a^2 = c^2 - b^2 \).

Step2: Substitute values

\( a^2 = 17^2 - 15^2 = 289 - 225 = 64 \)

Step3: Solve for \( a \)

\( a = \sqrt{64} = 8 \)

Answer:

8