If a right triangle has legs of 5 inches and 12 inches, use the Pythagorean theorem to find the length of the hypotenuse
Mrs Sue I do not under stand how to find the hypotenuse
Study this explanation.
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A^2 + B^2 = C^2
To find the length of the hypotenuse in a right triangle, we can use the Pythagorean theorem. The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides.
In this case, the lengths of the legs of the right triangle are given as 5 inches and 12 inches. Let's call the length of the hypotenuse "c". According to the Pythagorean theorem, we have the equation:
a^2 + b^2 = c^2
where "a" and "b" are the lengths of the legs, and "c" is the length of the hypotenuse.
Plugging in the values, we get:
5^2 + 12^2 = c^2
Simplifying, we have:
25 + 144 = c^2
169 = c^2
Now, to find the length of the hypotenuse, we need to take the square root of both sides of the equation:
√169 = √c^2
13 = c
Therefore, the length of the hypotenuse is 13 inches.