Question 339098
In any right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the two legs. This is known as the Pythagorean theorem and can be expressed in algebraic terms as:
{{{c^2 = a^2+b^2}}} where c is the length of the hypotenuse and a and b are the lengths of the two legs, so, you are given the length of c (c = 10ft) and one of the legs (a = 6ft), so you can substitute the values for c and a into the formula:
{{{c^2 = a^2+b^2}}} Substitute c = 10 and a = 6.
{{{10^2 = 6^2+b^2}}} Evaluate.
{{{100 = 36+b^2}}} Subtract 36 from both sides.
{{{64 = b^2}}} Now take the square root of both sides.
{{{sqrt(64) = sqrt(b^2)}}} so that...
{{{8 = b}}} or {{{b = 8}}}
The length of the other leg is 8 feet.