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

1 answer

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.