Question

Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to find the unknown side length in the given triangle. Round your answer to the nearest tenth 15, 3, ?

Answer 1

To find the unknown side length of a right triangle using the Pythagorean Theorem, we use the formula:

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

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

In this triangle, we have two known sides: \( a = 15 \) and \( b = 3 \). We need to find the length of the hypotenuse \( c \).

Plugging in the values we have:

\[
15^2 + 3^2 = c^2
\]

Calculating the squares:

\[
225 + 9 = c^2
\]

Adding these values:

\[
234 = c^2
\]

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

\[
c = \sqrt{234}
\]

Calculating the square root:

\[
c \approx 15.3
\]

Rounding to the nearest tenth, the length of the hypotenuse \( c \) is approximately **15.3**.