Question

in a right triangle, one leg is 12 feet and another leg is 16 feet. what is the length of the hypotenuse then?
enter the value. you do not need to enter the units. round to the nearest tenth if necessary.
review the linked section of the prealgebra textbook for problem help

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

$$a^{2}+b^{2}=c^{2}$$
Let \(a = 12\) and \(b=16\). Then \(12^{2}+16^{2}=c^{2}\).

Step2: Calculate squares

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

Step3: Sum the values

\(144+256 = 400\), so \(c^{2}=400\).

Step4: Solve for \(c\)

Take square root of both sides: \(c=\sqrt{400}\).

Answer:

20