Answer:
[tex]\text{The altitude is 4cm.}[/tex]
Step-by-step explanation:
Let's illustrate the situation in a diagram to understand.
In a right triangle if the altitude drawn divides the hypotenuse into two segments, then the length of the altitude is the geometric mean of the lengths of the two segments.
Therefore,
[tex]\begin{gathered} \frac{8}{a}=\frac{a}{2} \\ 2\cdot8=a^2 \\ 16=a^2 \\ a=\sqrt[]{16} \\ a=4\text{ cm} \end{gathered}[/tex]
