How do you use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the missing side of the right triangle with the given measures: A= 15, B= 20?

2 Answers
Feb 28, 2016

#c=25#

Explanation:

If we know that #a^2+b^2=c^2#, and we are given that #a=15# and that #b=20#, then we can solve for #c#.

Let's do that: #15^2+20^2=c^2#, which we can rewrite as #225+400=c^2#. This can be simplified to #625=c^2#, and to solve for #c#, we just need to get rid of the square. To do that, we just square root both sides, like this: #sqrt(625)=sqrt(c^2)#. This gives us #25=c#. Nice job!

Feb 28, 2016

#C=25# (see other answers for this)
or
#C=5sqrt(7)#

Explanation:

Since we were not told that the missing side is the hypotenuse an alternate possibility exists from those given previously.

#C=sqrt(20^2-15^2) = sqrt(175) = 5sqrt(7)#