Question a-righ

4.2 Right Triangles & Trigonometry - Pythagorean theorem
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A right triangle has legs with lengths of 28 centimeters and 20 centimeters. What is the length of this triangle's hypotenuse, in centimeters?

A.

8 6

B.

4 74

C.

48

D.

1,184

A right triangle has legs with lengths of 28 centimeters and 20 centimeters. What is the

Hard-difficulty · SAT Math · Right Triangles & Trigonometry — Pythagorean theorem. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.

Answer explanation

Choice B is correct. The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right triangle, the sum of the squares of the lengths of the two legs is equal to the square of the length of the hypotenuse. It's given that the right triangle has legs with lengths of 28 centimeters and 20 centimeters. Let c represent the length of this triangle's hypotenuse, in centimeters. Therefore, by the Pythagorean theorem, 282+202=c2, or 1,184=c2. Taking the positive square root of both sides of this equation yields 1,184=c, or 474=c. Therefore, the length of this triangle's hypotenuse, in centimeters, is 474.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Choice D is incorrect. This is the square of the length of the triangle’s hypotenuse.