4b The length of the side \( A B \) is reduced by 1 cm . The length of the side \( B C \) is still 7 cm . Angle \( A C B \) is still \( 90^{\circ} \) Will the value of \( \cos A B C \) increase or decrease? You must give a reason for your answer.
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To analyze the situation, we can use the cosine definition in a right triangle. The cosine of angle \( A B C \) is calculated as the adjacent side over the hypotenuse. By reducing side \( A B \) by 1 cm, the new length of \( A B \) becomes \( x - 1 \) (where \( x \) is the original length). While side \( B C \) remains 7 cm and angle \( A C B \) remains \( 90^{\circ} \), this reduction results in a reduction of the adjacent length in the triangle. Consequently, the length of the hypotenuse \( A C \) will also change, since it’s calculated using the Pythagorean theorem \( A C = \sqrt{(A B)^2 + (B C)^2} \). As the adjacent side becomes shorter while the opposite side stays the same, \( \cos A B C \) will decrease. The correlation between cosine and the lengths is that as the angle increases (which occurs when the adjacent side decreases), the cosine value gets smaller. Thus, the value of \( \cos A B C \) will decrease.