document.write( "Question 814608: a 60 cm piece of wire is bent to form a right triangle.If the hypotenuse is 26 cm, find the length of the longer of the two legs of the right triangle. \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #490415 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)\"\" \"About 
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a 60 cm piece of wire is bent to form a right triangle.If the hypotenuse is 26 cm, find the length of the longer of the two legs of the right triangle.
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\n" ); document.write( "Call the legs a & b
\n" ); document.write( "a + b = 60 - 26
\n" ); document.write( "a + b = 34
\n" ); document.write( "b = (34-a)
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "a^2 + b^2 = 26^2
\n" ); document.write( "replace b with (34-a)
\n" ); document.write( "a^2 + (34-a)^2 = 676
\n" ); document.write( "a^2 + 1156 - 68a + a^2
\n" ); document.write( "a^2 + a^2 - 68a + 1156 - 676 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "2a^2 - 68a + 480 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "simplify, divide by 2
\n" ); document.write( "a^2 - 34a + 240 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "Factors to
\n" ); document.write( "(a-24)(a-10) = 0
\n" ); document.write( "a = 24 cm is the longer leg\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "See if that checks out on your calc (b=10)
\n" ); document.write( "Enter \"sqrt%2824%5E2+%2B+10%5E2%29\" results: 26 \n" ); document.write( "
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