Question

A stained-glass window is shaped like a right triangle. The hypotenuse is 15feet. The length of one leg is three more than the other. Find the lengths of the legs.

Answer 1

Answer:

9 and 12

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

let us build equation for unknown legs

If we keep the length pf one leg as x

the other leg would be x +3

so we can build a relationship using pythagoras theorem

x^2 + (x+3)^2 = 15^2

x^2 + x^2 + 6x + 9 = 225

2x^2 + 6x + 9 = 225

2x^2 + 6x+ 9-225 = 0

2x^2 + 6x - 216 = 0

x^2 + 3x - 108 = 0 dividing whole equation by 2

x^2 + 12x - 9x - 108 = 0

x ( x + 12 ) - 9 (x + 12) = 0

(x -9) ( x +12) = 0

solutions for x are

x = 9 or x = -12

as lengths cannot be negative

one side length is 9cm

and other which is( x + 3)

9 + 3

12cm