First, we will use side lengths in the Pythagorean

Theorem to find the diagonal length of the base rectangle. Second,
we will use 12 and the length we found in step one to solve for the
diagonal of the prism. The length of the diagonal of the prism is

1 answer

To find the diagonal length of a rectangular prism, we can use the Pythagorean theorem twice: first to find the diagonal of the base rectangle and then to find the diagonal of the prism itself.

  1. Finding the diagonal of the base rectangle:
    If the side lengths of the rectangle are \( a \) and \( b \), then the length of the diagonal \( d \) of the base rectangle can be found using the Pythagorean theorem:

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

  2. Finding the diagonal of the prism:
    Once we have the diagonal \( d \) of the base rectangle, we can find the diagonal \( D \) of the prism. If the height of the prism is \( h \), the length of the diagonal of the prism can be calculated using:

    \[ D = \sqrt{d^2 + h^2} \]

    Substituting \( d \) from the first step:

    \[ D = \sqrt{(a^2 + b^2) + h^2} \]

If you have specific values for the side lengths \( a \) and \( b \) and the height \( h \), please provide them, and I can help you calculate the exact diagonal lengths.