To find the length of the hypotenuse \( c \) of a right triangle with legs \( a \) and \( b \), you can use the Pythagorean theorem:
\[ c = \sqrt{a^2 + b^2} \]
In this case, both legs \( a \) and \( b \) are 12 cm long. Thus:
\[ c = \sqrt{12^2 + 12^2} \]
Calculating:
\[ c = \sqrt{144 + 144} \] \[ c = \sqrt{288} \] \[ c \approx 16.9706 \]
Rounding to the nearest hundredth:
\[ c \approx 16.97 \text{ cm} \]
So, the length of the hypotenuse is approximately 16.97 cm.