SOLUTION: C=radical A^2+b^2 Solve for b I get REALLY confused when it is strictly letters. Please help!

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Question 918848: C=radical A^2+b^2
Solve for b
I get REALLY confused when it is strictly letters. Please help!
Answer by josgarithmetic(39617) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Why should you be confused about the letters? They are numbers.

The way to write the statement is C=sqrt(A^2+b^2) using plain text; or when rendering tags are included, C=sqrt%28A%5E2%2Bb%5E2%29.

You want to UNDO everything that was done to b, in order to solve the equation for b, and you must do the same action or operation to both sides of the equation.

Square both sides, C%5E2=%28sqrt%28A%5E2%2Bb%5E2%29%29%5E2
C%5E2=A%5E2%2Bb%5E2.
Add -A%5E2 to both sides, C%5E2%2B%28-A%5E2%29=A%5E2%2Bb%5E2%2B%28-A%5E2%29
C%5E2-A%5E2=b%5E2.
Symmetric Property of Equality, b%5E2=C%5E2-A%5E2.
Raise left and right sides to the half power, meaning square root:
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sqrt%28b%5E2%29=sqrt%28C%5E2-A%5E2%29
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highlight%28b=sqrt%28C%5E2-A%5E2%29%29