Question

87 ft. 60 ft. what is the length of the missing leg? if necessary, round to the nearest tenth. b = feet

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

$$a^2 + b^2 = c^2$$
Rearrange to solve for $b$:
$$b = \sqrt{c^2 - a^2}$$

Step2: Substitute given values

$c=87$, $a=60$
$$b = \sqrt{87^2 - 60^2}$$

Step3: Calculate squared terms

$$87^2 = 7569, \quad 60^2 = 3600$$
$$b = \sqrt{7569 - 3600}$$

Step4: Compute difference and square root

$$7569 - 3600 = 3969$$
$$b = \sqrt{3969} = 63$$

Answer:

63 feet