Find the length of the missing side. The triangle is not drawn to scale. x 16 27 right triangle

1 answer

To find the length of the missing side in a right triangle, we can use the Pythagorean theorem.

The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides.

In this case, we are given two side lengths: x and 16. Let's call the missing side length "h" for hypotenuse:

h² = x² + 16²

Since x and 16 are given, we need to solve for h. We can square both sides of the equation to eliminate the square root:

h² = x² + 256

Now, let's substitute the given value for x:

h² = 16² + 256

Simplifying the equation, we get:

h² = 256 + 256
h² = 512

Taking the square root of both sides of the equation, we find:

h = √512

Simplifying this square root, we get:

h ≈ 22.63

Therefore, the length of the missing side, h, is approximately 22.63.