Final answer:
To find the hypotenuse of a right triangle with legs of 3 inches and 2 inches, apply the Pythagorean theorem: square both legs, add the squares, and take the square root of the result, giving an approximate hypotenuse length of 3.61 inches.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the distance (hypotenuse) of a right triangle whose legs are 3 inches and 2 inches, you would use the Pythagorean theorem, which 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). The formula is a² + b² = c².
Using this theorem:
- Square the length of both legs: 3 inches (3²) = 9 square inches and 2 inches (2²) = 4 square inches.
- Add the squares of the legs together: 9 square inches + 4 square inches = 13 square inches.
- Take the square root of the sum of the squares: √13 square inches ≈ 3.61 inches.
So, the length of the hypotenuse is approximately 3.61 inches.