SOLUTION: how do you figure out how to find the length of leg a when you know leg b and the hypotenuse

Algebra ->  Finance -> SOLUTION: how do you figure out how to find the length of leg a when you know leg b and the hypotenuse       Log On


   

Question 1038898: how do you figure out how to find the length of leg a when you know leg b and the hypotenuse
Answer by ikleyn(52790) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.
how do you figure out how to find the length of leg a when you know leg b and the hypotenuse c.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like millions of other people, we use the Pythagorean theorem

a = sqrt%28c%5E2+-+b%5E2%29.

On Pythagorean theorem see the lessons
    - The Pythagorean Theorem
    - More proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem
in this site.