How do you use the Pythagorean theorem to find the hypotenuse if one leg is 34 and the other leg is 18?

Question

Genesis Allen · Accepted Answer

#c=38.47# to two decimal points.

The Pythagorean theorem states that the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. Algebraically, it is #color(blue)(c^2=a^2+b^2#, where #c# is the hypotenuse and #a and b# are the other two sides. Known #a=18# #b=34# Unknown: #c# Solution Plug the known values for #a and b# into the equation. #c^2=18^2+34^2# Simplify. #c^2=324+1156# Simplify. #c^2=1480# Take the square root of both sides. #sqrt(c^2)=sqrt1480# #c=38.47# to two decimal points

Eva Adamson · Answer

undefined To find the hypotenuse using the Pythagorean theorem, you can use the formula: c^2 = a^2 + b^2. In this case, let's assign 'a' as the length of one leg (34) and 'b' as the length of the other leg (18). Plugging these values into the formula, we get: c^2 = 34^2 + 18^2. Simplifying this equation, we have: c^2 = 1156 + 324. Adding these values, we get: c^2 = 1480. To find the value of 'c', we take the square root of both sides: c = √1480. Evaluating this, we find that the hypotenuse is approximately 38.48.