Question

A triangle with sides 4 cm and 2 cm
What would be the hypotenuse

Answer 1

To find the hypotenuse of a right triangle with sides measuring 4 cm and 2 cm, you can apply the Pythagorean theorem, which states:

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

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

Here, let \( a = 4 \) cm and \( b = 2 \) cm. Plugging these values into the formula:

\[
c^2 = 4^2 + 2^2
\]
\[
c^2 = 16 + 4
\]
\[
c^2 = 20
\]

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

\[
c = \sqrt{20} = \sqrt{4 \cdot 5} = 2\sqrt{5}
\]

So, the hypotenuse \( c \) is approximately \( 4.47 \) cm (since \( \sqrt{5} \approx 2.24 \)).

Thus, the hypotenuse of the triangle is \( 2\sqrt{5} \) cm or approximately \( 4.47 \) cm.