Answer:
C, 52
Step-by-step explanation:
to solve, we need to use the Pythagorean Theorem which is a² + b² = c², where c is the hypotenuse and a&b are the legs
the hypotenuse of a triangle is across from the right angle. looking at our triangle we see that we dont have the hypotenuse, so we need to solve the equation for <em>c</em>.
a = 48
b = 20
the number does not matter for the letter as you will get the same answer no matter what. we can plug in these values into the equation:
48² + 20² = c²
48 x 48 = 2304
20 x 20 = 400
2304 + 400 = c²
2704 = c² < we need to get <em>c</em> alone, so we square root both sides and find the square root of 2704
√2704 = √c < when you square root a squared number, the squared number cancels out
√2704 = c
to find the square root of 2704, we can break it down into known perfect squares using a factor tree. a calculator would also be useful in this situation and would help save time.
2704 can be broken down into 16 and 169. both 16 and 169 are perfect squares of 4 and 13 respectively. we then multiply 4 and 13 together and get 52.
the answer to the missing side is C, 52. we can check our work by plugging in all the values to see if they check:
<u>CHECK:</u>
48² + 20² = 52²
2304 + 400 = 2704
2704 = 2704
our answer checks, thus verifying that C is our answer
