Question

Jayden uses a table saw to cut a piece of plywood from one corner to the opposite corner. If the piece of plywood measured 80 centimeters by 60 centimeters, how long was the cut that Jayden made?

Answer 1

To determine the length of the cut that Jayden made by cutting from one corner of the plywood to the opposite corner, we can use the Pythagorean theorem.

The dimensions of the plywood are:
- Width: 60 cm
- Height: 80 cm

When applying the Pythagorean theorem, the cut can be viewed as the hypotenuse of a right triangle where:
- One leg of the triangle represents the width (60 cm)
- The other leg represents the height (80 cm)

According to the Pythagorean theorem:

\[
c = \sqrt{a^2 + b^2}
\]

where:
- \(c\) is the length of the hypotenuse (the cut)
- \(a\) is one leg of the triangle (60 cm)
- \(b\) is the other leg of the triangle (80 cm)

Substituting in the values we have:

\[
c = \sqrt{(60)^2 + (80)^2}
\]
\[
c = \sqrt{3600 + 6400}
\]
\[
c = \sqrt{10000}
\]
\[
c = 100 \text{ cm}
\]

Thus, the length of the cut that Jayden made is **100 centimeters**.