Question

The leg of a right triangle is 2 units and the hypotenus is 3 units. What is the length, in units, of the other leg?

Answer 1

ANSWER

$x = \sqrt{5}$ units

EXPLANATION

Let the other leg be x units.

According to the Pythagoras Theorem, the sum of the squares of the two shorter legs should add up to the square of the hypotenuse.

This implies that,

${x}^{2} + {2}^{2} = {3}^{2}$

${x}^{2} + 4=9$

Group the constant terms,

${x}^{2}=9 - 4$

${x}^{2}=5$

Take square root.

$x = \sqrt{5}$