document.write( "Question 187798: i was never taught this and i don't know how to solve something like this, could you please help?? \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "a right triangle has legs x+1. The hypotenuse of the triangle is 2x-1. What is the length of the hypotenuse?
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Algebra.Com's Answer #140800 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
We basically have this triangle set up:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Remember, the Pythagorean Theorem is \"a%5E2%2Bb%5E2=c%5E2\" where \"a\" and \"b\" are the legs of a triangle and \"c\" is the hypotenuse.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Since both legs are \"x%2B1\" this means that \"a=x%2B1\" and \"b=x%2B1\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Also, since the hypotenuse is \"2x-1\", this means that \"c=2x-1\".\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a%5E2%2Bb%5E2=c%5E2\" Start with the Pythagorean theorem.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%28x%2B1%29%5E2%2B%28x%2B1%29%5E2=%282x-1%29%5E2\" Plug in \"a=x%2B1\", \"b=x%2B1\", and \"c=2x-1\" \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2%2B2x%2B1%2Bx%5E2%2B2x%2B1=4x%5E2-4x%2B1\" FOIL\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"2x%5E2%2B4x%2B2=4x%5E2-4x%2B1\" Combine like terms.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"2x%5E2%2B4x%2B2-4x%5E2%2B4x-1=0\" Get all terms to the left side.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-2x%5E2%2B8x%2B1=0\" Combine like terms.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Notice we have a quadratic equation in the form of \"ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc\" where \"a=-2\", \"b=8\", and \"c=1\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let's use the quadratic formula to solve for x\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-b+%2B-+sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29%29%2F%282a%29\" Start with the quadratic formula\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-%288%29+%2B-+sqrt%28+%288%29%5E2-4%28-2%29%281%29+%29%29%2F%282%28-2%29%29\" Plug in \"a=-2\", \"b=8\", and \"c=1\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-8+%2B-+sqrt%28+64-4%28-2%29%281%29+%29%29%2F%282%28-2%29%29\" Square \"8\" to get \"64\". \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-8+%2B-+sqrt%28+64--8+%29%29%2F%282%28-2%29%29\" Multiply \"4%28-2%29%281%29\" to get \"-8\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-8+%2B-+sqrt%28+64%2B8+%29%29%2F%282%28-2%29%29\" Rewrite \"sqrt%2864--8%29\" as \"sqrt%2864%2B8%29\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-8+%2B-+sqrt%28+72+%29%29%2F%282%28-2%29%29\" Add \"64\" to \"8\" to get \"72\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-8+%2B-+sqrt%28+72+%29%29%2F%28-4%29\" Multiply \"2\" and \"-2\" to get \"-4\". \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-8+%2B-+6%2Asqrt%282%29%29%2F%28-4%29\" Simplify the square root (note: If you need help with simplifying square roots, check out this solver) \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-8%2B6%2Asqrt%282%29%29%2F%28-4%29\" or \"x+=+%28-8-6%2Asqrt%282%29%29%2F%28-4%29\" Break up the expression. \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%284%2B3%2Asqrt%282%29%29%2F%282%29\" or \"x+=+%284%2B3%2Asqrt%282%29%29%2F%282%29\" Reduce\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the answers are \"x+=+%284%2B3%2Asqrt%282%29%29%2F%282%29\" or \"x+=+%284%2B3%2Asqrt%282%29%29%2F%282%29\" \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "which approximate to \"x=-0.121\" or \"x=4.121\" \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Since \"x=-0.121\" generates a negative length, we'll ignore this answer.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the only solution is \"x=4.121\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "This means that the two legs are\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%2B1=4.121%2B1=5.121\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "And the hypotenuse is \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"2%284.121%29-1=8.242-1=7.242\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Answer:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the legs are approximately 5.121 units long and the hypotenuse is about 7.242 units long
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