Question

what is the length of the hypotenuse? if necessary, round to the nearest tenth. c = feet

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

For a right - triangle, \(a^{2}+b^{2}=c^{2}\), where \(a = 12\), \(b = 16\).
So, \(12^{2}+16^{2}=c^{2}\).

Step2: Calculate \(a^{2}\) and \(b^{2}\)

\(12^{2}=144\), \(16^{2}=256\).
Then \(144 + 256=c^{2}\), \(c^{2}=400\).

Step3: Solve for \(c\)

Take the square root of both sides, \(c=\sqrt{400}\).
Since \(c>0\), \(c = 20\).

Answer:

\(20\)