document.write( "Question 118094: Find the length x in the triangle. Side 1=8. Side 2=x. Side 3=12 \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #86164 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
I'm assuming that the triangle is a right triangle and that side 3 is the hypotenuse.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "We basically have this triangle set up:\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Since we can see that the triangle has legs of 8 and x with a hypotenuse of 12, we can use Pythagoreans theorem to find the unknown side.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Pythagoreans theorem:\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"a%5E2%2Bb%5E2=c%5E2\" where a and b are the legs of the triangle and c is the hypotenuse\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"8%5E2%2Bx%5E2=12%5E2\" Plug in a=8, b=x, and c=12. Now lets solve for x\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"6+4+%2B++x++%5E+2+=+1+4+4\" Square each individual term\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"+x++%5E+2+=+1+4+4+-+6+4\" Subtract 64 from both sides\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"+x++%5E+2+=+8+0\" Combine like terms\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"s+q+r+t+%28++x++%5E+2+%29+=+s+q+r+t+%28+8+0+%29\" Take the square root of both sides\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=4%2Asqrt%285%29\" Simplify the square root\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Which approximates to...\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+8+.+9+4+4+2+7+1+9+0+9+9+9+9+1+6\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So our answer is\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+8+.+9+4+4+2+7+1+9+0+9+9+9+9+1+6\"
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );