math answer

stormy74 · #1 Apr 20, 2007, 12:24 PM

A right triangle is a triangle with one angle measuring 90°. In a right triangle, the lengths of the sides are related by the Pythagorean Theorem, , where c is the length of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the 90° angle). Find the length of the hypotenuse when the other two sides’ measurements are 6 feet and 8 feet.

asterisk_man · Apr 20, 2007, 12:59 PM

This is easy because I can recognize a triangle with the two short sides as 6 and 8 as a scaled version of a 3-4-5 right triangle. The scaling factor is 2. Therefore, the hypotenuse is 5*2=10.

Alternatively, you can actually use the pythagorean theorem.

$a^2+b^2=c^2$
a and b are the two short sides (6 and 8 in your example). substitute the values in for a and be and then just solve for c.

please ask if you don't understand.



At Ask Me Help Desk you can ask questions in any topic and have them answered for free by our experts. To ask questions or participate in answering them you must register for a free account. By registering you will be able to: Get free answers from experts in any of our 300+ topics. Accept money for answers that you provide. Communicate privately with other members (PM). See fewer ads. Sign Up!