To find a third whole number that, together with 20 and 48, forms a Pythagorean triple, we can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states that for a right triangle with sides \( a \), \( b \) and hypotenuse \( c \):
\[ a^2 + b^2 = c^2 \]
We can try to determine whether 20 or 48 should be used as the hypotenuse. However, since \( 20^2 + 48^2 \) will give a larger number, we will calculate:
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Calculate \( 20^2 + 48^2 \): \[ 20^2 = 400 \] \[ 48^2 = 2304 \] \[ 20^2 + 48^2 = 400 + 2304 = 2704 \]
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Now, find \( c \) (hypotenuse) such that: \[ c^2 = 2704 \] \[ c = \sqrt{2704} = 52 \]
Thus, the third whole number that forms a Pythagorean triple with 20 and 48 is:
\[ \boxed{52} \]
So the triple is \( (20, 48, 52) \).