A triangle has squares on its three sides as shown below. What is the value of x? (1 point)
Three squares having side lengths 9 cm, x cm, and 12 cm joining to form right triangle at the centre
12 inches
15 inches
108 inches
144 inches
To find the value of x, we can use the Pythagorean theorem. Since the three squares join to form a right triangle at the center, the square of the hypotenuse (the longest side) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.
In this case, the hypotenuse is the side with length 12 cm and the other two sides have lengths 9 cm and x cm.
Using the Pythagorean theorem, we have:
12^2 = 9^2 + x^2
144 = 81 + x^2
63 = x^2
Taking the square root of both sides, we get:
x = ±√63
However, x cannot be negative since it represents a length. Therefore, the value of x is √63.
Using a calculator, we find that √63 is approximately 7.94.
Therefore, the value of x is approximately 7.94 cm.
None of the provided answer choices matches this value.