In a right triangle, a and b are the lengths of the legs and c is the length of the hypotenuse. If a = 28 centimeters and b = 21 centimeters, what is c? If necessary, round to the nearest tenth.
c = ____ centimeters
In a right triangle, a and b are the lengths of the legs and c is the length of the hypotenuse. If a = 28 centimeters and b = 21 centimeters, what is c? If necessary, round to the nearest tenth. c = ____ centimeters.
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To find the length of the hypotenuse ( c ) in a right triangle using the Pythagorean theorem, you can use the formula:
[
c = sqrt{a^2 + b^2}
]
Where:
– ( a = 28 ) cm
– ( b = 21 ) cm
Now, plug in the values:
[
c = sqrt{28^2 + 21^2}
]
Calculate ( 28^2 ) and ( 21^2 ):
[
28^2 = 784
]
[
21^2 = 441
]
Now, add these values:
[
c = sqrt{784 + 441} = sqrt{1225}
]
Finally, calculate the square root:
[
c = 35 text{ cm}
]
So, the length of the hypotenuse ( c ) is 35 centimeters.