document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=612626>Question 612626</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> one leg of a right triangle measures three inches less than the other leg. find the length of both legs if the hypotenuse is 4 inches long </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #385632 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=nerdybill><B>nerdybill(7384)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=nerdybill><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=nerdybill><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=385632\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\">     one leg of a right triangle measures three inches less than the other leg. find the length of both legs if the hypotenuse is 4 inches long<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Let x = longer leg<BR>\n" );
document.write( "then<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x-3 = shorter leg<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "applying Pythagorean theorem:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x^2 + (x-3)^2 = 4^2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x^2 + (x-3)(x-3) = 16<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x^2 + x^2-6x+9 = 16<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2x^2-6x+9 = 16<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2x^2-6x-7 = 0<BR>\n" );
document.write( "applying the \"quadratic formula\" yields:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x = {3.9, -0.9}<BR>\n" );
document.write( "throw out the negative solution (extraneous) leaving<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x = 3.9 inches (longer leg)<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "shorter leg:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x-3 = 3.9-3 = .9 inches<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "answer: 3.9 inches and .9 inches<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "details of quadratic formula follows:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " <TR><TD  ALIGN=MIDDLE>Solved by <A  rel=nofollow HREF=http://wiki.algebra.com/index.php/Tutoring_-_pluggable_solvers>pluggable</A> solver: <A  rel=nofollow HREF=quadratic.solver>SOLVE quadratic equation with variable</A></TD></TR>\n" );
document.write( "<TR><TD  ALIGN=LEFT>Quadratic equation <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc=0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > (in our case <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2x%5E2%2B-6x%2B-7+=+0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2x%5E2%2B-6x%2B-7+=+0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >) has the following solutons:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B12%5D+=+%28b%2B-sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29%29%2F2%5Ca ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B12%5D+=+%28b%2B-sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29%29%2F2%5Ca\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <BR>\n" );
document.write( "  For these solutions to exist, the <U>discriminant</U> <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b%5E2-4ac ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b%5E2-4ac\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > should not be a negative number.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <BR>\n" );
document.write( "  First, we need to compute the discriminant <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b%5E2-4ac ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b%5E2-4ac\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >: <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b%5E2-4ac=%28-6%29%5E2-4%2A2%2A-7=92 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b%5E2-4ac=%28-6%29%5E2-4%2A2%2A-7=92\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <BR>\n" );
document.write( "  Discriminant d=92 is greater than zero. That means that there are two solutions: <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x%5B12%5D+=+%28--6%2B-sqrt%28+92+%29%29%2F2%5Ca ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x%5B12%5D+=+%28--6%2B-sqrt%28+92+%29%29%2F2%5Ca\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <BR>\n" );
document.write( "    <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B1%5D+=+%28-%28-6%29%2Bsqrt%28+92+%29%29%2F2%5C2+=+3.89791576165636 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B1%5D+=+%28-%28-6%29%2Bsqrt%28+92+%29%29%2F2%5C2+=+3.89791576165636\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "    <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B2%5D+=+%28-%28-6%29-sqrt%28+92+%29%29%2F2%5C2+=+-0.89791576165636 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B2%5D+=+%28-%28-6%29-sqrt%28+92+%29%29%2F2%5C2+=+-0.89791576165636\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "    <BR>\n" );
document.write( "    Quadratic expression <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2x%5E2%2B-6x%2B-7 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2x%5E2%2B-6x%2B-7\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > can be factored:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2x%5E2%2B-6x%2B-7+=+2%28x-3.89791576165636%29%2A%28x--0.89791576165636%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2x%5E2%2B-6x%2B-7+=+2%28x-3.89791576165636%29%2A%28x--0.89791576165636%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "  Again, the answer is: 3.89791576165636, -0.89791576165636.\n" );
document.write( "Here's your graph:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=graph%28+500%2C+500%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+-20%2C+20%2C+2%2Ax%5E2%2B-6%2Ax%2B-7+%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"graph%28+500%2C+500%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+-20%2C+20%2C+2%2Ax%5E2%2B-6%2Ax%2B-7+%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ></TD></TR>\n" );
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