document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=242848>Question 242848</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> One leg of a right triangle is 5 cm shorter than the other leg. The length of the hypotenuse is 25 cm. Find the length of the shorter leg. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #177824 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=unlockmath><B>unlockmath(1688)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-12.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=unlockmath><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/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=unlockmath><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=177824\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Hello, <BR>\n" );
document.write( "Let's have x represent one leg and the shorter leg be x-5. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "The formula a^2 + b^2 = C^2   (C is the hypotenuse) With what we know we can put in the data. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "x^2 + (x-5)^2 = 25^2 Expanding this out will look like:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x^2 + x^2 -10x +25 = 625 Combine like terms and subtract 625 from both sides gives us:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2x^2 -10x - 600 = 0 or can be rewritten as:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2(x^2 -5x -300)= 0  This can be factored as:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2(x-20)(x+15)=0 <BR>\n" );
document.write( "x=20<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x=-15 <BR>\n" );
document.write( "20 makes sense for the answer. So the shorter leg is 15cm<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Check out my book at www.math-unlock.com <BR>\n" );
document.write( "RJ Toftness<BR>\n" );
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