Question

hannah takes a sheet of paper and cuts from one corner to the opposite corner, making two triangles. if the piece of paper is 6 inches long and 23 inches wide, what is the length of the cut? provide an answer accurate to the nearest tenth.

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

The Pythagorean theorem is \(a^{2}+b^{2}=c^{2}\), where \(a = 6\), \(b=23\), and \(c\) is the length of the cut (hypotenuse of the right - triangle).
Substitute \(a = 6\) and \(b = 23\) into the formula: \(c^{2}=6^{2}+23^{2}\).

Step2: Calculate \(6^{2}+23^{2}\)

\(6^{2}=36\) and \(23^{2}=529\). Then \(6^{2}+23^{2}=36 + 529=565\).

Step3: Solve for \(c\)

\(c=\sqrt{565}\approx23.8\)

Answer:

\(23.8\) inches