6. Secants, Tangents, and Angle Measures
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Use the Pythagorean Theorem.
5sqrt(10)
Let's start by paying close attention to the triangle in the given diagram.
We can see that the lengths of the legs are 5 and 15. The length of the hypotenuse is x. If we substitute these values in the equation of the Pythagorean Theorem, we will be able to find the value of x. Let's do it!
Substitute values
Calculate power
Add terms
Rearrange equation
sqrt(LHS)=sqrt(RHS)
Split into factors
Simplify root
We only take the positive root of x^2, since a segment cannot have negative length. Therefore, the value of x is 5sqrt(10).