Question
The hypotenuse of a right triangle measures 15 cm and one of its legs measures 6 cm .
Find the measure of the other leg. If necessary, round to the nearest tenth.
Find the measure of the other leg. If necessary, round to the nearest tenth.
Ask by Black Young. in the United States
Jan 27,2025
Upstudy AI Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
The other leg is approximately 13.7 cm long.
Solution

Sign in to Unlock Answers for Free!
A Learning Platform Trusted by Millions of Real Students and Teachers.

Answered by UpStudy AI and reviewed by a Professional Tutor
Like
Mind Expander
To find the measure of the other leg of the right triangle, you can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states that
, where
is the hypotenuse and
and
are the legs. Here, the hypotenuse
cm and one leg
cm. You can calculate the other leg
as follows:
-
Plug the values into the formula:
-
Subtract
from both sides:
-
Now take the square root:
cm.
So, the measure of the other leg is approximately 13.8 cm!
Now that you’ve got that figured out, it’s worth noting that the Pythagorean theorem isn’t just a classroom concept; it has practical applications in fields like architecture, engineering, and even game development. When building structures, architects need to ensure that angles and lengths align correctly, and the theorem helps them calculate distances accurately.
Also, while working with right triangles, it’s easy to confuse the legs with the hypotenuse. Remember, the hypotenuse is always opposite the right angle and is the longest side, which can lead to errors in calculation. So, always double-check whether you’re using the correct sides when applying the theorem!