SOLUTION: the problem is to determine the length of the unknown side using the Pythagorean theorem I understood everything until the last it says "Solve for c by taking the square root

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Question 998005: the problem is to determine the length of the unknown side using the Pythagorean theorem I understood everything until the last it says
"Solve for c by taking the square root of both sides"
what does that mean
Found 2 solutions by josgarithmetic, MathTherapy:
Answer by josgarithmetic(39617)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Sides a and b are known.
Side c is unknown.
Sides a and b must be the legs and side c is the hypotenuse. These leg and hypotenuse assumptions are because you did not give the problem description but indicate only that you have two sides of a right triangle.

The way the description was described here, .
If you want a finished solution for c, then, "Solve for c by taking the square root of both sides". This is already clear.

and you want c.

and you want to have that .
Answer by MathTherapy(10552)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
the problem is to determine the length of the unknown side using the Pythagorean theorem I understood everything until the last it says
"Solve for c by taking the square root of both sides"
what does that mean


You want to solve for c, but the equation is now solved for , not c

To "get rid" of the square from the , you have to apply the INVERSE operation, which is to take the square root. However, whatever you do to one side

of the equation you need to also do to the other side. Therefore, taking the square root of the left side, or  means that you ALSO have to take the

square root of the right side of the equation, as follows: 

The square and the square root cancel each other, so we're left with just "c" on the left side. Now we get:  

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