Final answer:
The perimeter of Square C, assuming it is a right triangle with Squares A and B as legs, is found using the Pythagorean theorem and equals 60 units.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding the Perimeter of Square C Using the Pythagorean Theorem
The perimeter of a square is calculated by multiplying the length of one side by 4. Therefore, for Square A with a perimeter of 36, each side is 36/4 = 9 units. For Square B with a perimeter of 48, each side is 48/4 = 12 units.
If we assume that Square C is formed by placing Square A and Square B adjacent to each other to form a right angle, you can calculate the diagonal length of Square C using the Pythagorean theorem. If the sides of Squares A and B are the legs of a right triangle, their lengths squared (a2 and b2) add up to the square of the length of the hypotenuse (c).
So, we use the theorem: a2 + b2 = c2. Plugging in the side lengths: 92 + 122 = 81 + 144 = 225. Therefore, the length of the diagonal (side) of Square C is √225, which equals 15 units. The perimeter of Square C is 4 times the side length, thus 4 × 15 = 60 units.
Note that using the Pythagorean theorem to find the perimeter of a square is only applicable in this scenario where two squares form a right triangle, not in standard perimeter calculations. Regular perimeter calculations simply multiply one side length by 4.