SOLUTION: One leg of a right triangle is 2 inches smaller than the hypotenuse. The other leg is 5 inches long. What are the lengths of the unknown leg and hypotenuse?

Algebra ->  Triangles -> SOLUTION: One leg of a right triangle is 2 inches smaller than the hypotenuse. The other leg is 5 inches long. What are the lengths of the unknown leg and hypotenuse?      Log On


   

Question 75949: One leg of a right triangle is 2 inches smaller than the hypotenuse. The other leg is 5 inches long. What are the lengths of the unknown leg and hypotenuse?
Answer by funmath(2933) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
One leg of a right triangle is 2 inches smaller than the hypotenuse. The other leg is 5 inches long. What are the lengths of the unknown leg and hypotenuse?
The Pythagorean theorem says the hypotenuse squared = leg squared + other leg squared c^2=a^2+b^2
Let the hypotenuse be: x
Then the leg that is two inches smaller than the hypotenuse is: x-2
The other leg is: 5
x%5E2=%28x-2%29%5E2%2B5%5E2
x%5E2=x%5E2-4x%2B4%2B25
x%5E2=x%5E2-4x%2B29
x%5E2-x%5E2=x%5E2-x%5E2-4x%2B29
0=-4x%2B29
0-29=-4x%2B29-29
-29=-4x
-29%2F-4=-4x%2F-4
7.25=x
The hypotenuse is x=7.25 in
The missing leg is x-2=7.25-2=5.25 in
Happy Calculating!!!!