Answer
b=1.2 miles
Work Step by Step
The hypotenuse is 1.3 miles and one of the legs is 0.5 miles. Use the Pythagorean theorem ( $a^{2}$ + $b^{2}$ = $c^{2}$) and plug in for a and c to get $.5^{2}$ + $b^{2}$ = $1.3^{2}$.Now solve:
$.5^{2}$ + $b^{2}$ = $1.3^{2}$ -do the exponents-
0.25+ $b^{2}$=1.69 -subtract 0.25 from both sides-
$b^{2}$=1.44 -find the square root of 1.44 to solve for b-
b=1.2
B is 1.2 miles long.
