A right triangle has a hypotenuse of 25 feet and a leg of 7 feet. What is the length of the other leg?

2 Answers
Serena D.
Mar 21, 2018

24 ft

Explanation:

The Pythagorean theorem states that the sum of the squares of the two legs is equal to the hypotenuse squared.

#7^2+x^2=25^2 rarr# I'll use x to represent the unknown leg.

#49+x^2=625#

#x^2=576#

#x=+-24 rarr# Eliminate the -24 answer choice; a side length cannot be negative

The other leg is 24 ft.

Jim G.
Mar 21, 2018

#24" feet"#

Explanation:

#"Apply "color(blue)"Pythagoras' theorem ""to the triangle"#

#"let the length of unknown leg be x"#

#rArr25^2=7^2+x^2#

#rArrx^2=25^2-7^2#

#rArrx=sqrt(625-49)=sqrt576=24" feet"#

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