<PRE><B>Question 417593</B>
A toy manufacturer needs a piece of plastic in the shape of a right triangle with the longer leg 4cm more than the shorter leg and the hypotenuse 8 cm more than the shorter leg. How long should the sides of the triangle be? 
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short leg = x
longer leg = x+4
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hypotenuse = x+8
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x^2 + (x+4)^2 = (x+8)^2
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x^2 + x^2+8x+16 = x^2+16x+64
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x^2-8x-48 = 0
(x-12)(x+4) = 0
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Positive solution:
x = 12 (shorter)
x+4 = 16 (longer)
x+8 = 20 (hypotenuse)
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Cheers,
Stan H.
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