Question

in a right triangle, a and b are the lengths of the legs and c is the length of the hypotenuse. if a = 7 meters and c = 8 meters, what is b? if necessary, round to the nearest tenth. b = \boxed{} meters

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Pythagorean theorem

$$a^2 + b^2 = c^2$$

Step2: Rearrange to solve for $b$

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

Step3: Substitute given values

$$b = \sqrt{8^2 - 7^2} = \sqrt{64 - 49} = \sqrt{15}$$

Step4: Calculate and round to tenth

$$\sqrt{15} \approx 3.9$$

Answer:

3.9 meters