Question

A right triangle and two of its side lengths are shown in the diagram. Which measurement is closest to the value of x in centimeters? (Sorry for the blurry image)

Answer 1

We have the following:

We can calculate the value of x by means of the Pythagorean theorem which is the following

`h^2=a^2+b^2`

in this case h is 39 and a is 12, replacing:

`\begin{gathered} 39^2=12^2+b^2 \\ b^2=39^2-12^2 \\ b=\sqrt[]{1377} \\ b=37.1 \end{gathered}`

The value of x in centimeters is 37.1, that is, the answer is A