Final answer:
To determine the measure of the diagonal of a computer screen, the Pythagorean theorem is used, yielding a diagonal measurement of approximately 24.2 inches. Therefore, the closest answer choice is C) 24 inches.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the measure of the diagonal of a computer monitor when given the length and height of the screen, we can apply the Pythagorean theorem because the screen forms a right-angled triangle with its length, height, and the diagonal being the hypotenuse.
The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right-angled triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (c) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides (a and b):
a² + b² = c²
Given that the length (a) is 19 inches and the height (b) is 15 inches, the equation becomes:
19² + 15² = c²
361 + 225 = c²
586 = c²
√586 = c
Calculating the square root of 586, we get:
c ≈ 24.2 inches
So the measure of the diagonal is approximately 24.2 inches, which is closest to option C) 24 inches.