Given right triangle ABC, with right angle at C, if b = 8 and c = 17, using the Pythagorean Theorem, what is a?

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Answer 1 · 2018-05-17T00:22:18

A is 15.

So let write the Pythagorean Theorem equation out.

#a^2+b^2=c^2#

So our value of b is 8 and c is 17. So let plug those number into the equation.

#a^2+8^2=17^2#

Now you square the known value which you will get:

#a^2+64=289#

Subtract 64 from both sides and you get:

#a^2=225#

Square both side:

#sqrt(a^2)#=#sqrt(225)#

When squaring #a^2# inside the house, the exponent of 2 cancel out which is just a.

So the final answer is a = 15

So let double check to ensure that it adds up to 289. If it does not, then somewhere along the way I made a math calculation error.

#15^2+8^2=c^2#
#225+64=c^2#
#289=c^2#
#sqrt(289)=#sqrt(c^2)#

#17#=#c#

So a = 15 work.