The hypotenuse of a right triangle is 13 cm. The other two sides differ by 7 cm.
Let the shorter side be $x$ . Form a quadratic and factorise to find the shorter side (in cm).

Question

The hypotenuse of a right triangle is 13 cm. The other two sides differ by 7 cm. Let the shorter side be x. Form a quadratic and factorise to find the shorter side (in cm).

Accepted Answer

5. Sides x and x+7. By Pythagoras x^2 + (x+7)^2 = 13^2 = 169, so 2x^2 + 14x + 49 = 169, i.e. 2x^2 + 14x - 120 = 0, x^2 + 7x - 60 = 0 = (x + 12)(x - 5). Shorter side = 5 cm.

The hypotenuse of a right triangle is 13 cm. The other two sides differ by 7 cm.
Let the shorter side be $x$ . Form a quadratic and factorise to find the shorter side (in cm).

Step-by-Step Solution

Master this chapter in 30 minutes a day.

More Class 10 Roots by Factorisation practice

The hypotenuse of a right triangle is 13 cm. The other two sides differ by 7 cm.Let the shorter side be x. Form a quadratic and factorise to find the shorter side (in cm).

Step-by-Step Solution

Master this chapter in 30 minutes a day.

More Class 10 Roots by Factorisation practice

The hypotenuse of a right triangle is 13 cm. The other two sides differ by 7 cm.
Let the shorter side be $x$ . Form a quadratic and factorise to find the shorter side (in cm).