Question

How do you find the missing lengths of the sides of a right triangle given the legs 4 and the hypotenuse 6?

Answer 1

The missing side length of the right triangle is `sqrt20` or about `4.47`.

Explanation:

When we talk about the side lengths of a right triangle, we typically use the Pythagorean Theorem, as shown here:

(study.com)

We are the length of the a leg of the triangle (`4`) and the hypotenuse (`6`).

So we can plug in these values into the equation and solve for the other side length. Let's say that the given side length is `a`:
`(4)^2 + b^2 = (6)^2`

And now we simplify:
`16 + b^2 = 36`

Subtract both sides by `16`:
`b^2 = 20`

`b = sqrt20` or about `4.47`