Question

sarah is building a portable rabbit hutch in the shape of a triangular prism. A verticcal support beam splits the hypotenuse of the right triangle into two pieces , one measuring 10 inches and one measuring 15 inches. If the hutch is placed so that the hypotenuse of the triangle is on the ground, how tall is the hutch?.Roound your answer to the nearset tenth

Answer 1

When the hypotenuse is on the ground, the vertical beam is the altitude from the right angle to the hypotenuse. In a right triangle the altitude to the hypotenuse satisfies h^2 = (segment1)(segment2). Here h^2 = 10·15 = 150, so

h = sqrt(150) ≈ 12.247.

Rounded to the nearest tenth: 12.2 inches.