In a right triangle, the hypotenuse is the side opposite the right angle. To determine which side is the hypotenuse in this triangle, we need to check if the Pythagorean theorem holds true.
The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse's length is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.
Let's calculate the squares of the given sides:
12^2 = 144
16^2 = 256
20^2 = 400
To find the length of the hypotenuse, we need to determine which length is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.
144 + 256 = 400
The length of the hypotenuse is equal to the square root of the sum of the squares of the other two sides.
So, the hypotenuse in this triangle has a length of 20 units.
If a triangle has sides 12, 16, & 20, which length is the length of the hypotenuse?
1 answer