The leg of a right triangle is 4 units and the hypotenuse is 9 units. What is the length, in units, of the other leg of the triangle?

Question

campbell_st · Answer

using pythagoras theorem 

a and b are shorter legs and c is the hypotenuse 

the theorem says $$c^2 = a^2 + b^2$$

you can rewrite this to find a shorter leg

$$a^2 = c^2 - b^2$$

you need to let c = 9 and b = 4

then solve for a

anonymous · Answer

okay, what about this  one?
The legs of a right triangle are 6 units and 7 units. What is the length of the hypotenuse?

campbell_st · Answer

so use the 1st version of the formula 

$$c^2 = a^2 + b^2$$

a and b are shorter legs, c is the hypotenuse

anonymous · Answer

so its the same thing basically?