f a triangle has sides that measure 100 inches, 99 inches, and 85 inches, which side should be plugged in for "c" in the pythagorean theorem?
Must show I got my answer
Thank you guys so much!
I you are using
a^2 + b^2 = c^2, where c is the hypotenuse, then c clearly must be
largest side.
So tell me what you think?
I need help please
To determine which side should be plugged in for "c" in the Pythagorean theorem, we need to recall the formula:
c^2 = a^2 + b^2
In this formula, "a" and "b" represent the lengths of the two sides of the right-angled triangle, and "c" represents the length of the hypotenuse.
Given the lengths of the triangle's sides as 100 inches, 99 inches, and 85 inches, we need to determine which side is the longest. The longest side of a triangle is the hypotenuse, which corresponds to "c" in the Pythagorean theorem.
Now, to confirm this, let's compare the lengths of the sides:
- Side "a" measures 100 inches.
- Side "b" measures 99 inches.
- Side "c" measures 85 inches.
Since side "c" (85 inches) is the shortest side, it cannot be the hypotenuse. Therefore, for "c" in the Pythagorean theorem, we should use the length of the longest side, which is 100 inches.
Hence, in this case, "c" should be plugged in as 100 inches for the Pythagorean theorem:
100^2 = a^2 + b^2
To double-check the answer, you can perform the calculations by squaring each side and determining if it satisfies the equation:
100^2 = 99^2 + 85^2
10,000 = 9,801 + 7,225
10,000 = 17,026
As 10,000 does not equal 17,026, this confirms that "c" should indeed be the hypotenuse or the longest side, which is 100 inches in this case.
I hope this explanation helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.