Geometry and TrigonometryEasy–MediumShorter leg from a ratio and the hypotenuse
Geometry and Trigonometry practice question
The legs of a right triangle are in the ratio 3 to 4, and the hypotenuse has length 20. What is the length of the shorter leg?
Answer: 12
A 3-4-5 triangle scaled by 4 has sides 12, 16, 20, so the shorter leg is 12.
Common wrong answers
- If you answered 3
- 3 is the ratio part, not the length.
- If you answered 15
- 15 multiplies 3 by 5 instead of 4.
- If you answered 16
- 16 is the longer leg.
More Geometry and Trigonometry questions
- Easy–Medium
A circle has a radius of 6. What is its area? (Use A = πr².) - Easy–Medium
A right triangle has legs of length 6 and 8. What is the length of the hypotenuse? - Easy–Medium
A circle has a radius of 5. What is its circumference? (Use C = 2πr.) - Easy–Medium
What is the midpoint of the segment joining the points (2, 3) and (8, 11)? - Easy–Medium
What is the measure, in degrees, of angle B? - Easy–Medium
What is the area, in square centimeters, of the trapezoid?
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