Question

cindy takes a sheet of paper and cuts from one corner to the opposite corner, making two triangles. if the length of the cut is 47 inches and the paper is 5 inches long, what is the width of the sheet of paper? provide an answer accurate to the nearest tenth.

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

Let the width be \( w \). According to the Pythagorean theorem \( a^{2}+b^{2}=c^{2} \), where \( a = 5\), \( c = 47\), and \( b=w \). So \( w^{2}+5^{2}=47^{2} \).

Step2: Solve for \( w^{2} \)

\( w^{2}=47^{2}-5^{2} \). Calculate \( 47^{2}=2209 \) and \( 5^{2} = 25 \). Then \( w^{2}=2209 - 25=2184 \).

Step3: Solve for \( w \)

\( w=\sqrt{2184}\approx46.7 \)

Answer:

\( 46.7 \) inches