The length of one leg of a right triangle is 7 centimeters more than the length of the other leg. The length of the hypotenuse is 17 centimeters. Find the lengths of the two legs.
A) 6 cm, 13 cm
B) 10 cm, 17 cm
C) 11 cm, 16 cm
D) 8 cm, 15 cm
E) 5 cm, 13 cm

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using the Pythagorean theorem, let x be the length of the shorter leg. Then the other leg is x + 7. Solving x^2 + (x + 7)^2 = 17^2 gives x = 8 and x + 7 = 15.

The Length of One Leg of a Right Triangle Is