In the formula, a and b are the legs and c is the hypotenuse of a right triangle. We are given a triangle with a= x, b= 8, and c= 17. Let's substitute these values into the formula.
Since a negative side length does not make sense, we only need to consider positive solutions. We have that the side lengths of the right triangle are 8, 15, and 17. Since the side lengths are all positive integers, they form a Pythagorean triple.
