If a right triangle has legs measuring 10 cm and 24 cm, how long is the hypotenuse?

1 answer

The length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle can be found using the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides.

Using this theorem, the length of the hypotenuse can be calculated as follows:

hypotenuse^2 = leg1^2 + leg2^2

Substituting the given values:

hypotenuse^2 = 10^2 + 24^2

hypotenuse^2 = 100 + 576

hypotenuse^2 = 676

Taking the square root of both sides:

hypotenuse = √676

hypotenuse = 26 cm

Therefore, the length of the hypotenuse of the right triangle is 26 cm.