Question

find the hypotenuse of a right triangle if the perpendicular leg is 12 and the base is 5.
a 13
b 18
c 14
d 20

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Pythagorean theorem

In a right - triangle, $c^{2}=a^{2}+b^{2}$, where $c$ is the hypotenuse and $a$ and $b$ are the legs. Let the perpendicular leg $a = 12$ and the base leg $b = 5$.

Step2: Substitute values into formula

$c=\sqrt{a^{2}+b^{2}}=\sqrt{12^{2}+5^{2}}$.

Step3: Calculate squares

$12^{2}=144$ and $5^{2}=25$, so $c=\sqrt{144 + 25}=\sqrt{169}$.

Step4: Find square - root

$\sqrt{169}=13$.

Answer:

A. 13