Answer:
shorter leg = 21 ft
longer leg = 28 ft
hypotenuse = 35 ft
Step-by-step explanation:
Let's call the longer leg of the triangle "b", the shorter leg "a", and the hypotenuse "h"
Then we have the following two equations:
a = b - 7
h = b + 7
And we can use the Pythagorean theorem to relate all three sides of the triangle:
[tex]h^2=a^2+b^2\\(b+7)^2=(b-7)^2+b^2\\b^2+14b +49=b^2-14b+49+b^2\\0=b^2-28b\\0=b*(b-28)[/tex]
Therefore there are two possible solutions to this equation: b = 0 or b = 28 ft.
So we take the one that is different from zero (since we are looking for the side of a triangle) That is: b = 28 ft
Then hypotenuse = 28 + 7 = 35 ft
and the shorter leg = 28 - 7 = 21 ft
