The hypotenuse of a right triangle measures 15 cm. One leg of the triangle measures 9 cm. Find the length of the other leg of the triangle.

Question

The hypotenuse of a right triangle measures 15 cm. One leg of the triangle measures 9 cm. Find the length of the other leg of the triangle.

Answer 1

Hello Chloe,

Let's call x the other leg you're trying to find the length of.

Pythagorean theorem: 9² + x² = 15²

x² = 15² - 9² = 225 - 81 = 144

x² = 144

Take the square root of both sides -----> x = √(144)

Do that in your calculator and the number you get will be the length of the other leg of the triangle.