For this question you can use Pythagorean Theorem. This Theorem states that a^2 + b^2 = c^2. Please note that Pythagorean Theorem only works with right triangles, and this is a right triangles because it has a right angle. The hypotenuse is the side of the right triangles that is opposite the right angle. In other words, it's the longest side, and this side is put in the formula as c. You plug in the length of the hypotenuse into c. So 16 is c because 16 is the length of the hypotenuse. Sides a and b are the other two sides - doesn't matter which is which. Plug in 12 for a and x for b. Again, you could plug in 12 for b and x for a and still get the same answer, but I'll stick with 12 is a and x is b. When you plug in your numbers to your formula, it will look like this: (12)^2 + (x)^2 = (16)^2. You don't have to put the parentheses on the terms you plugged in. In that case, it'd look like: 12^2 + x^2 = 16^2. Next, solve for x.What I would do first is square the a and c terms. 12^2 is 144 and 16^2 is 256. So you now have 144 + x^2 = 256. Next, I'd subtract 144 from both sides of the equation in order to isolate the b term or x. We are getting it by itself. So 256 minus 144 is 112. So you should have x^2 = 112. Then, in order to isolate the x, you have to do the opposite of squaring. And that is square rooting. So take the square root of both sides and you'll be left with x is approximately 10.58. Round to the nearest hundredth as this is what the directions read.
