Answer:
20 inches
Step-by-step explanation:
Imagine the two sides to be the length and width of a triangle, and the line he drew as the hypotenuse. Thus, we can use the Pythagorean theorem:
c² = a² + b²
c² = 12² + 16²
c² = 144 + 256
c² = 400
c = 20 in.