To find the hypotenuse of a right triangle when the lengths of both legs are known, we can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states:
\[ c = \sqrt{a^2 + b^2} \]
where \(c\) is the length of the hypotenuse, and \(a\) and \(b\) are the lengths of the legs.
In this case, both legs \(a\) and \(b\) are 12 cm:
\[ c = \sqrt{12^2 + 12^2} \] \[ c = \sqrt{144 + 144} \] \[ c = \sqrt{288} \] \[ c \approx 16.97 \]
Therefore, the length of the hypotenuse, rounded to the nearest hundredth, is 16.97.