The two legs of a right triangle measure 12 inches and 16 inches. How long is the hypotenuse

i don't get you

Use the Pythagorean Theorem.

a = one leg
b = one leg
c = hypotenuse

a^2 + b^2 = c^2

12^2 + 16^2 = c^2
144 + 256 = c^2
400 = c^2
20 = c

To find the length of the hypotenuse in a right triangle, you can use the Pythagorean theorem. The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (c) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides (a and b).

In this case, you have the lengths of the two legs, which are 12 inches and 16 inches. Let's call them a and b.

So, according to the Pythagorean theorem, we have:
c^2 = a^2 + b^2

Plugging in the values, we get:
c^2 = 12^2 + 16^2

Simplifying further:
c^2 = 144 + 256
c^2 = 400

To find the value of c, we need to take the square root of both sides:
c = √400
c = 20

So, the length of the hypotenuse is 20 inches.