Question 878909: I'm studying for my Maths exam, and I'm stuck on a pythagoras question. Can you solve an equation with only one given value? I know Pythagoras can only be used on a right angle triangle, and it is, but I've only been given the value 12.9. Just wanted to know if you can actually solve it.
Answer by KMST(5328)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! A triangle problem with just one length as information would have infinite solutions, which means you cannot give a solution.
However, you must pay attention to possibly hidden additional information, such as the description of a triangle as a "isosceles right triangle". With that additional information, you could solve the problem using the Pythagorean theorem.
If you just specify the length of one side, I can draw a very large number of triangles with one side of that length.
If you wanted only right triangles with one leg length of 12.9 (whatever units),
or if you wanted only right triangles with a hypotenuse length of 12.9,
I still could draw a very large number of triangles meeting that specification.
(There would be infinite such triangles, but I could not draw them all within my finite life).
An isosceles right triangle with a leg measuring  (in whatever units) has another leg of the same length,
and a hypotenuse measuring  .
An isosceles right triangle with a hypotenuse measuring (in whatever units) has two leg of the same length, each measuring
 .
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