Answer:
3
Explanation:
(x + 1)^2 + x^2 = 25
The shorter leg is x.
The longer leg is x + 1.
The hypotenuse is 5.
x² + 2x + 1 + x² = 25
2x² + 2x - 24 = 0
x² + x - 12 = 0
(x + 4)(x - 3) = 0
x + 4 = 0 or x - 3 = 0
x = -4 or x = 3
The shorter leg is x and its length is 3.