Length of segment of the hypotenuse adjacent to the shorter leg is 5 inches and the length of the altitude is 3 inches.
Step-by-step explanation:
Step 1: Let the triangle be ΔABC with right angle at B. The altitude drawn from B intersects the hypotenuse AC at D. So 2 new right angled triangles are formed, ΔADB and ΔCDB.
Step 2: According to a theorem in similarity of triangles, when an altitude is drawn from any angle to the hypotenuse of a right triangle, the 2 newly formed triangles are similar to each other as well as to the bigger right triangle. So ΔABC ~ ΔADB ~ ΔCDB.
Step 3: Identify the corresponding sides and form an equation based on proportion. Let the length of the altitude be x. Considering ΔABC and ΔADB, AB/DB = AC/AB
⇒ 6/x = 12/6
⇒ 6/x = 2
⇒ x = 3 inches
Step 4: To find length of the hypotenuse adjacent to the shorter leg (side AB of 6 inches), consider ΔADB.
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⇒AD = 5 inches