Question

a rectangular piece of paper measures 10 centimeters wide by 17 centimeters long. what is the length of the papers diagonal to the nearest centimeter? 14 centimeters 17 centimeters 20 centimeters 27 centimeters

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

In a rectangle, if the length is $l = 17$ cm, the width is $w = 10$ cm, and the diagonal is $d$. According to the Pythagorean theorem $d^{2}=l^{2}+w^{2}$. So $d=\sqrt{l^{2}+w^{2}}=\sqrt{17^{2}+10^{2}}$.

Step2: Calculate the squares

First, calculate $17^{2}=17\times17 = 289$ and $10^{2}=10\times10 = 100$. Then $l^{2}+w^{2}=289 + 100=389$.

Step3: Find the square - root

$d=\sqrt{389}\approx19.72$. Rounding to the nearest centimeter, $d\approx20$ cm.

Answer:

20 centimeters