document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=210724>Question 210724</A>This question is from textbook <A HREF=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/9780495554035/algebrahomeworkh>College Algebra</A><BR>\n" );
document.write( ": <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> The sum of the lengths of the two legs of a right triangle is 34 meters. If the length of the hypotenuse is 26 meters, find the length of each leg. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #159188 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Earlsdon><B>Earlsdon(6294)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Earlsdon><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=159188\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Using the Pythagorean theorem: <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=c%5E2+=+a%5E2%2Bb%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"c%5E2+=+a%5E2%2Bb%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > where c (the hypotenuse) = 26, we can write:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1) <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=26%5E2+=+a%5E2%2Bb%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"26%5E2+=+a%5E2%2Bb%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and...<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2) <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=a%2Bb+=+34 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"a%2Bb+=+34\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > \"The sum of the legs...is 34 meters.\" Rewrite this as:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=a+=+34-b ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"a+=+34-b\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and substitute into equation 1).<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1a) <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=26%5E2+=+%2834-b%29%5E2%2Bb%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"26%5E2+=+%2834-b%29%5E2%2Bb%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Simplify and solve for b.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1b) <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=676+=+%281156-68b%2Bb%5E2%29%2Bb%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"676+=+%281156-68b%2Bb%5E2%29%2Bb%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "1c) <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=676+=+1156-68b%2B2b%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"676+=+1156-68b%2B2b%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Rearrange into the standard form for a quadratic equation.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1d) <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2b%5E2-68b%2B480+=+0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2b%5E2-68b%2B480+=+0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Divide by 2 to ease the calculation a bit.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1e) <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b%5E2-34b%2B240+=+0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b%5E2-34b%2B240+=+0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Factor this trinomial.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1f) <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28b-24%29%28b-10%29+=+0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28b-24%29%28b-10%29+=+0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >  so...<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b+=+24 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b+=+24\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > or <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b+=+10 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b+=+10\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "So the two legs are:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "a = 24 and b = 10 (or vice versa if you like)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Check:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=26%5E2+=+24%5E2%2B10%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"26%5E2+=+24%5E2%2B10%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=676+=+576%2B100 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"676+=+576%2B100\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=676+=+676 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"676+=+676\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );