Question

marvin is planning to lay two decorative pieces of metal across the 42 - inch by 45 - inch rectangular glass centerpiece of a cabinet. each piece will lie on a diagonal of the centerpiece. what should be the approximate length of each piece of metal in inches? 42 in 61.55 in 65.07 in

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

In a rectangle, if the length is $l = 45$ inches and the width is $w=42$ inches, and the diagonal $d$ is calculated by $d=\sqrt{l^{2}+w^{2}}$.

Step2: Substitute values

$d=\sqrt{45^{2}+42^{2}}=\sqrt{2025 + 1764}=\sqrt{3789}$.

Step3: Calculate square - root

$\sqrt{3789}\approx61.55$ inches.

Answer:

61.55 in