Question

12 yd length and 9 yd height
What is the length of the hypotenuse? If necessary, round to the nearest tenth.
c =__ yards

Answer 1

To find the length of the hypotenuse in a right triangle, you can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states:

\[
c^2 = a^2 + b^2
\]

where \(c\) is the length of the hypotenuse, and \(a\) and \(b\) are the lengths of the other two sides.

In this case, you have:

- \(a = 12\) yards (length)
- \(b = 9\) yards (height)

Plugging these values into the formula:

\[
c^2 = 12^2 + 9^2
\]

Calculating the squares:

\[
c^2 = 144 + 81
\]

So,

\[
c^2 = 225
\]

Now, take the square root of both sides to find \(c\):

\[
c = \sqrt{225} = 15
\]

Thus, the length of the hypotenuse is:

\[
c = 15 \text{ yards}
\]

Final answer:

\[
c = 15 \text{ yards}
\]