A) 16 mm
B) 8 mm
C) 5 mm
D) 3 mm
To determine the length of the third side of the triangle, we can use the triangle inequality theorem which states that the sum of the lengths of any two sides of a triangle must be greater than the length of the third side.
Given that two sides are 10 mm and 7 mm, the third side must be less than the sum of these two sides but greater than the difference between these two sides.
10 + 7 = 17
10 - 7 = 3
Therefore, the length of the third side must be between 3 mm and 17 mm.
Looking at the given choices, the length of the third side cannot be 16 mm, 8 mm, or 5 mm as these values are outside of the possible range. The correct answer is:
D) 3 mm