To find the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle with both legs measuring 12 cm, you can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states:
\[ c = \sqrt{a^2 + b^2} \]
where \(c\) is the hypotenuse, and \(a\) and \(b\) are the lengths of the legs. In this case, both legs are 12 cm:
\[ c = \sqrt{12^2 + 12^2} = \sqrt{144 + 144} = \sqrt{288} \]
Now, calculate \(\sqrt{288}\):
\[ \sqrt{288} \approx 16.97 \]
Rounding to the nearest hundredth, the length of the hypotenuse is approximately 16.97 cm.
So the correct response is 16.97.