A right triangle has legs that measure 20 cm and 48 cm. Solve the missing length of the triangle. Show your work and explain the steps you used to solve.

Answer 1

Let's call the two legs (20 cm and 48 cm lets), A and B, and the unknown, missing let, let's call it C.

We can solve this is a problem using the Pythagorean Theorem, which says the following for a right triangle:

C squared is equal to the sum of A squared plus B squared, The side C is called the hypotenuse.

So... we have the following:

C squared = (20 squared) + (48 squared). Using our calculator we get that:

C squared = 400 + 2304 = 2708

Now we take the square root of 2708 and we get C:

C = 52

The length of the missing let, C, is 52 cm.

Answer 2

Hi Melanie. Since you are given the legs of the triangle, you are looking for the longest side, the hypotenuse. Using a squared +

b squared = c squared (c is always the hypotenuse), we get 20 squared + 48 squared = c squared.

That gives us 400 + 2304 = c squared, and then 2704 = c squared.

Taking the square root of both sides, we get 52 = c, the answer.

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