document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=253030>Question 253030</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> One of my Homework Questions is Find the area of a isosceles right triangle with a hypotnuse of 10 cm. I know to get from hyp to short leg you divide by 2 ( 5) and since it is isosceles I'm assuming that the other leg is 5 then you would just do 1/2 ( 5 * 5 ) but don't the long and short leg together have to be greater than the hyp? I'm so confused. Please help. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #185215 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=richwmiller><B>richwmiller(17219)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=richwmiller><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=richwmiller><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=185215\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> The usual Pythagorean theorem formula for a right triangle is a^2+b^2=c^2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "where the hypotenuse is c and here it is c=10<BR>\n" );
document.write( "but since a =b we can make it<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2a^2=c^2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "so <BR>\n" );
document.write( "2a^2=10^2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2a^2-=100<BR>\n" );
document.write( "divide by 2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "a^2=50<BR>\n" );
document.write( "It just so happens we can stop here since the area of a triangle is 1/2 bh<BR>\n" );
document.write( "and in our isosceles triangle the base and height are the same.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "So, 1/2 bh becomes 1/2 a^2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1/2 a^2=50/2=25 <BR>\n" );
document.write( "area =25cm^2 </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );