To find the length of the hypotenuse in a right triangle with both legs measuring 12 cm, we can use the Pythagorean theorem. The theorem states that:
\[ c^2 = a^2 + b^2 \]
where \( c \) is the length of the hypotenuse, and \( a \) and \( b \) are the lengths of the two legs.
In this case, both \( a \) and \( b \) are 12 cm:
\[ c^2 = 12^2 + 12^2 \] \[ c^2 = 144 + 144 \] \[ c^2 = 288 \]
Now, to find \( c \), take the square root of 288:
\[ c = \sqrt{288} \] \[ c \approx 16.97 , \text{cm} \]
Rounding to the nearest hundredth, the hypotenuse is approximately 16.97 cm.
The correct answer is 16.97.