Problema Solution
The flower garden has the shape of a right triangle. 68
ft of a perennial border forms the hypotenuse of the triangle, and one leg is 28
ft longer than other leg. Find the lengths of the legs.
Answer provided by our tutors
Let
c = 68 ft the hypotenuse
a = the length of one leg, a>=0
a + 28 = the length of the second leg
Using the Pythagorean Theorem we have:
a^2 + (a + 28)^2 = c^2
a^2 + (a + 28)^2 = 68^2
........
click here to see the equation solved for a
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a = 32 ft
a + 28 = 32 + 28 = 60 ft
The lengths of the legs are 32 ft and 60 ft.