Question

Gary used landscape timbers to create a border around a garden shaped like a right triangle. The longest two timbers he used are 12 feet and 15 feet long. Which is closest to the length, in feet, of the shortest timber?

Answer 1

9

Explanation:

Since its an right triangle

you do x^2 +12^2 = 15^2

x^2 = 81

x = 9

Answer 2

9 feet

Explanation:

Given:

The border of the garden is a right angled triangle.

Two lengths are given as 12 ft and 15 ft.

Let the length of the shortest timber be 'x' feet.

Now, in a right angled triangle, the longest length is called the hypotenuse.

As 15 feet is the largest length, it is the hypotenuse of the triangle. Now, applying Pythagoras theorem, we get:

`(Leg1)^2+(Leg2)^2=(Hypotenuse)^2\\x^2+12^2=15^2\\x^2+144=225\\x^2=225-144\\x^2=81\\x=\pm √(81)=\pm 9`

The negative value is neglected as length can never be negative.

Therefore, the length of the shortest timber is 9 feet.