Questions: What is the length of the hypotenuse? If necessary, round to the nearest tenth. c= inches

Solution Steps

We are given a right triangle with legs of length 30 inches and 72 inches. We are asked to find the length of the hypotenuse, denoted by 'c'.

The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (c) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides (a and b). So, c² = a² + b². In this case, a = 30 inches and b = 72 inches.

Substitute the given values into the Pythagorean theorem: c² = 30² + 72² = 900 + 5184 = 6084. Taking the square root of both sides, we get c = √6084 ≈ 78.

Final Answer