Question

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john takes a sheet of paper and makes a diagonal cut from one corner to the opposite corner, making two triangles. the cut he makes is 9 inches long, and the length of the paper is 7 inches. what is the paper’s width? if necessary, round to the nearest tenth.
□ inches

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Pythagorean theorem

For right triangle: $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$, where $c$ is diagonal, $a=7$, $c=9$, solve for $b$ (width).

Step2: Rearrange formula for width

$b^2 = c^2 - a^2$

Step3: Substitute known values

$b^2 = 9^2 - 7^2 = 81 - 49 = 32$

Step4: Calculate square root

$b = \sqrt{32} \approx 5.7$

Answer:

5.7 inches