Question

What is the length of the hypotenuse, x, if (12, 35, x) is a Pythagorean triple?

Answer 1

a^2 + b^2 = c^2
12^2 + 35^2 = x^2
144 + 1225 = x^2
1369 = x^2
sqrt 1369 = x
37 = x.....so the hypotenuse is 37

Answer 2

For any right triangle, squaring each of the legs then adding them will equal to the hypotenuse squared.

In mathematical notation:
`a^2 + b^2 = c^2`

Where the variables a and b are the legs and the variable c is the hypotenuse.

Plug in the values.


`12^2 + 35^2 = c^2`

`144 + 1225 = c^2`

`1369 = c^2`

`37 = c`

So, the hypotenuse is 37 units long.