Question

If the two legs of a right triangle are 5m and 7m respectively, what is the hypotenuse? Round answer to two decimals.

Answer 1

Let $a = 5m, b = 7m$, and $c$ is the hypotenuse. By Pythagorean's theorem, the hypotenuse is:

$$c = \sqrt{a^2 + b^2}\\ c = \sqrt{5^2 + 7^2} = \sqrt{74}m\approx 8.6m$$

Answer. $\sqrt{74}m$ or $8.6m$.