Question one-an

4.2 Right Triangles & Trigonometry - Pythagorean theorem
0:00

  • One angle is a right angle.
  • The lengths of the sides adjacent to the right angle are as follows:
    • 3
    • 7
  • A note indies the figure is not drawn to scale.

The lengths of the legs of a right triangle are shown. Which of the following is closest to the length of the triangle's hypotenuse?

A.

20

B.

3.2

C.

5

D.

7.6

One angle is a right angle. The lengths of the sides adjacent to the right angle

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 for a right triangle, a2+b2=c2, where a and b represent the lengths of the legs of the triangle and c represents the length of its hypotenuse. In the triangle shown, the legs have lengths of 3 and 7 . Substituting 3 for a and 7 for b in the equation a2+b2=c2 yields 32+72=c2, which is equivalent to 9+49=c2, or 58 = c 2 . Taking the positive square root of both sides of this equation yields 58=c. Thus, the value of c is approximately 7.6 . Therefore, of the given choices, 7.6 is the closest to the length of the triangle's hypotenuse.

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.