Final answer:
To determine if the given numbers could be the sides of a right triangle, check if they satisfy the Pythagorean theorem, which involves squaring the two shorter sides, adding them, and seeing if they equal the square of the longest side.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks us to determine if the given numbers can represent the sides of a right triangle, using the Pythagorean theorem. The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse (c) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides (a and b): a² + b² = c². If the numbers satisfy this equation, they can be the lengths of the sides of a right triangle. You can also use this theorem to solve for the hypotenuse c using the formula c = √a² + b². To verify if the given lengths form a right triangle, square the lengths of the two shorter sides (a and b), add them together, and check if they equal the square of the longest side (c).