Question

)) In a right triangle, a and b are the lengths of the legs and c is the length of the

hypotenuse. If b = 8.8 kilometers and c = 9.3 kilometers, what is a? If necessary, round to
the nearest tenth.

Answer 1

3.008 km or 3.0 km

Explanation:

According to the Pythagoras theorem:

`{c}^(2) = {a}^(2) + {b}^(2) \\ \therefore \: {a}^(2) = {c}^(2) - {b}^(2) \\ \therefore \: {a}^(2) = {(9.3)}^(2) - {(8.8)}^(2) \\ \therefore \: {a}^(2) = {(9.3 + 8.8)}{(9.3 - 8.8)} \\ \therefore \: {a}^(2) = 18.1 * 0.5 \\ \therefore \: {a}^(2) = 9.05 \\ \therefore \: {a} = √(9.05) \\ \therefore \: {a} = 3.00832179 \\ \therefore \: {a} = 3.0 \: km`