The length of the prism is 32 cm, the width is 24 cm, the height is 44 cm, and the length of the diagonal of the base, segment BH , is 40 cm. Find the length of the diagonal of the rectangular prism, segment BE . Round the answer to the nearest tenth.

1. 46.6 cm
2. 51.2 cm
3. 59.5 cm
4. 54.4 cm

1 answer

To find the length of the diagonal of the rectangular prism (segment BE), we use the formula for the diagonal \(d\) of a rectangular prism given by:

\[ d = \sqrt{l^2 + w^2 + h^2} \]

where:

  • \(l\) is the length,
  • \(w\) is the width, and
  • \(h\) is the height.

Given:

  • \(l = 32 , \text{cm}\)
  • \(w = 24 , \text{cm}\)
  • \(h = 44 , \text{cm}\)

Now, substitute these values into the formula:

\[ d = \sqrt{32^2 + 24^2 + 44^2} \]

Calculating each term:

  • \(32^2 = 1024\)
  • \(24^2 = 576\)
  • \(44^2 = 1936\)

Now, add these values together:

\[ d = \sqrt{1024 + 576 + 1936} \] \[ d = \sqrt{3536} \]

Now, calculating the square root:

\[ d \approx 59.5 , \text{cm} \]

Thus, rounding to the nearest tenth, the length of the diagonal of the rectangular prism (segment BE) is approximately:

\[ \boxed{59.5 , \text{cm}} \]