Question

one of the legs of a right triangle measures 16 cm and its hypotenuse measures 20 cm. find the measure of the other leg. if necessary, round to the nearest tenth

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

Let the known leg be $a = 16$ cm, the hypotenuse be $c=20$ cm, and the unknown leg be $b$. The Pythagorean theorem is $a^{2}+b^{2}=c^{2}$, so $b^{2}=c^{2}-a^{2}$.

Step2: Substitute values

$b^{2}=20^{2}-16^{2}=400 - 256=144$.

Step3: Solve for $b$

$b=\sqrt{144}=12$ cm.

Answer:

12 cm