Question one-an

4.2 Right Triangles & Trigonometry - Pythagorean theorem
0:00

  • One angle is a right angle.
  • The length of the side opposite the right angle is 19.
  • The lengths of the other 2 sides are as follows:
    • b
    • 4
  • A note indies the figure is not drawn to scale.

Which equation shows the relationship between the side lengths of the given triangle?

A.

4b=19

B.

4+b=19

C.

42+b2=192

D.

42-b2=192

One angle is a right angle. The length of the side opposite the right angle is

Medium-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 C 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. Therefore, a2+b2=c2, where a and b are the lengths of the legs and c is the length of the hypotenuse. For the given right triangle, the lengths of the legs are 4 and b , and the length of the hypotenuse is 19 . Substituting 4 for a and 19 for c in the equation a2+b2=c2 yields 42+b2=192. Thus, the relationship between the side lengths of the given triangle is 42+b2=192.

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

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

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