Answer:
Shorter leg = 2.5 ft.
Longer leg = 6.5 ft.
Step-by-step explanation:
a^2 + b^2 = c^2
Because the hypotenuse = 7 ft, a^2 + b^2 = 49
To represent the two legs, we can use x and x+4.
x^2 + (x+4)^2 = 49
Simplifying this equation using FOIL gives us 2x^2 + 8x - 33 = 0.
Then, using the quadratic formula, we find that x = 2.5.
Thus, the shorter leg is 2.5 ft. and, when 4 is added, the longer leg is 6.5 ft.
