How long in centimeters is each leg?

Question

An isosceles right triangle has a hypotenuse of length 8 cm. How long in centimeters is each leg?

Answer 1

In an isosceles right triangle, the legs are the same length. Let's call the length x. Using the Pythagorean Theorem:

a² + b² = c²

We know that a = x and b = x and c = 8. Substituting:

x² + x² = 8²

2x² = 64

x² = 32

x = √32

x = √(16·2)

x = 4√2