Question

A right triangle has side lengths of 0.6 meter and 0.8 meter. What is the length of the hypotenuse? Round to the nearest tenth.

Answer 1

Use the Pythagorean theorem since you are working with a right triangle:

a^2+b^2=c^2a2+b2=c2

The legs are a and b and the hypotenuse is c. The hypotenuse is always opposite the 90° angle. Insert the appropriate values:

0.8^2+0.6^2=c^20.82+0.62=c2

Solve for c. Simplify the exponents (x^2=x*xx2=x∗x ):

0.64+0.36=c^20.64+0.36=c2

Add:

1=c^21=c2

Isolate c. Find the square root of both sides:

\begin{gathered}\sqrt{1}=\sqrt{c^2}\\\\\sqrt{1}=c\end{gathered}1=c21=c

Simplify \sqrt{1}1 . Any root of 1 is 1:

c=c= ±11 *

c=1,-1c=1,−1