Activity › Discussion › Math › Pythagoras Theorem › Reply To: Pythagoras Theorem
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In a right triangle, the Pythagorean theorem states that the square of the hypotenuse (the longest side) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. Let’s use this theorem to find the length of the missing leg.
Given: Hypotenuse (c) = 10 cm One leg (a) = 6 cm
Let the length of the missing leg be b.
According to the Pythagorean theorem, we have:
c^2 = a^2 + b^2
Substituting the given values, we get:
10^2 = 6^2 + b^2
Simplifying further:
100 = 36 + b^2
To isolate b^2, we subtract 36 from both sides:
64 = b^2
Now, to find the length of the missing leg, we take the square root of both sides:
√64 = √(b^2)
Simplifying:
8 = b
Therefore, the length of the missing leg is 8 cm.
So, in the given right triangle with a hypotenuse of 10 cm and one leg measuring 6 cm, the length of the other leg is 8 cm.