To find the slant height of the cone, we can use the Pythagorean theorem. The height, radius, and slant height form a right triangle, where:
- The height (h) is 6 cm
- The radius (r) is half of the diameter, so for a diameter of 13 cm, the radius is \( r = \frac{13}{2} = 6.5 \) cm
- The slant height (l) is what we need to find
According to the Pythagorean theorem:
\[ l^2 = h^2 + r^2 \]
Substituting the values:
\[ l^2 = 6^2 + 6.5^2 \]
Calculating it step by step:
\[ l^2 = 36 + (6.5 \times 6.5) \] \[ l^2 = 36 + 42.25 \] \[ l^2 = 78.25 \]
Now, take the square root to find the slant height:
\[ l = \sqrt{78.25} \approx 8.8 \text{ cm} \]
Therefore, the slant height must be approximately 8.8 cm.