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Question

A triangle has a side of length 6 cm, a side of length 8 cm and a right angle. What is the shortest possible length of the remaining side of the triangle? Express your answer in centimeters as a decimal to the nearest hundredth.

Accepted Answer

The remaining side is minimized if it is a leg of the triangle rather than the hypotenuse. Then its length is 8^2 - 6^2 = 2 7 5.29 cm.