If a triangle has sides of length 12 and 16how long is the hypotenuse? (1 point)

1 answer

To determine the length of the hypotenuse, we can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

So, in this case, the hypotenuse, denoted as c, can be found using the formula:

c^2 = a^2 + b^2

Where a and b are the lengths of the other two sides.

In this case, the lengths of the other two sides are 12 and 16, so we have:

c^2 = 12^2 + 16^2

Simplifying this equation, we get:

c^2 = 144 + 256

c^2 = 400

Taking the square root of both sides, we find:

c = √400

c = 20

Therefore, the hypotenuse of the triangle is 20 units long.