Question

How do you use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the missing side of the right triangle with the given measures: A= 20, C= 25?

Answer 1

Missing side is `15` or `32.02` units

Explanation:

It is apparent that we are talking about a right angled triangle, whose two sides `A=20` and `C=25`. In a right angled triangle, according to Pythagoras Theorem, square on the largest side, which is a hypotenuse, is equal to sum of the squares on other two sides.

Here we have two possibilities.

One - `C=25` is the hypotenuse and the largest side. As it's square is `25^2=625` and square of `A` is `20^2=400`, the square of third side would be `625-400=225` and

third side, say `B=sqrt225=15`.

Two - `B`, the third side is the hypotenuse and the largest side. As sum of the square of other two sides `A` and `C` is `20^2=400` and `25^2=625`, the square of third side `B` would be `625+400=1025` and

third side, `B=sqrt1025~=32.02`.