Question

for the following right triangle, find the side length x. round your answer to the nearest hundredth.

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

In a right - triangle, if the hypotenuse is $c$ and the two legs are $a$ and $b$, then $c^{2}=a^{2}+b^{2}$. Here, the hypotenuse is 20 and one leg is 12, and we want to find the other leg $x$. So, $x=\sqrt{20^{2}-12^{2}}$.

Step2: Calculate the squares

$20^{2}=400$ and $12^{2}=144$. Then $20^{2}-12^{2}=400 - 144=256$.

Step3: Calculate the square - root

$x=\sqrt{256}=16.00$

Answer:

$16.00$