The leg of a right triangle is 2 units and the hypotenuse is 4 units. What is the length, in units, of the other leg of the triangle?

Question

anonymous · Answer

Pythagorean Theorem:

$a^2 + b^2 = c^2$

Where 'a' and 'b' are the two legs, and 'c' is the hypotenuse.

Plug in what we know:

$a^2 + 2^2 = 4^2$

Okay, what's 2 * 2?

anonymous · Answer

4

anonymous · Answer

Yes, and what's 4 * 4?

anonymous · Answer

16

anonymous · Answer

Yes, so we have:

$a^2 + 4 = 16$

Now we subtract 4 to both sides, what's 16 - 4?

anonymous · Answer

12

anonymous · Answer

Yes, that gives us:

$a^2 = 12$

Now we have to find the square root of both sides:

$a = \sqrt{12}$

anonymous · Answer

3.4641016

anonymous · Answer

Yes, so the length of the other leg is approximately 3.46.

anonymous · Answer

Thanks igreen for the help. I ask you for help because other people don't really help me with my problems! Thanks again!