Question

A triangle has side lengths 12 centimeters and b. The hypotenuse is 15 centimeters.

What is the unknown leg length?

Pythagorean theorem:a2+b2=c2

122+b2 = 152

144 + b2 = 225

b2 = 81

Answer 1

b = 9

Explanation:

All the steps are correct. This final step in finding the value of "b" is to take the square root of both sides. This gets rid of the power that "b" is raised to. Once you do this, you are just left with the variable and the answer of 9.

b² = 81

√b² =√81

b = 9