The triangle is a right triangle, which means the Pythagorean Theorem can be used to find the length of the hypotenuse.
The Pythagorean Theorem is: a² + b² = c², where c is the hypotenuse of the triangle.
To find the length of the hypotenuse of this triangle, you'd plug the leg lengths into the theorem for a and b and then solve for c. The equation would be as follows.
5² + 8² = c²
To solve for c, first square 5 and 8:
25 + 64 = c²
Then collect the constants:
89 = c²
Lastly, take the square root of both sides:
9.434 ≈ c
The hypotenuse is approximately 9.4 cm.
