Question

Find the length of the missing side. The triangle is not drawn to scale.

Answer 1

Answer:

D.) 8

Step-by-step explanation:

You can use the Pythagorean theorem because this is a right triangle:

$a^2+b^2=c^2$

a and b are the legs and c is the hypotenuse. The hypotenuse is always the longest side in a right triangle (since it  is opposite the biggest angle). The two legs squared have to add up to the hypotenuse squared.

Fill in values:

$a^2+15^2=17^2$

Simplify exponents:

$a^2+225=289$

Isolate the variable. Subtract 225 from both sides:

$a^2+225-225=289-225\\a^2=64$

Find the square root of both sides:

$\sqrt{a^2}=\sqrt{64}\\ a=8$

The missing leg length is 8.