sat suite question viewer
For the right triangle shown, and . Which expression represents the value of ?
Explanation
Choice D is correct. By the Pythagorean theorem, if a right triangle has a hypotenuse with length and legs with lengths and , then . In the right triangle shown, the hypotenuse has length and the legs have lengths and . It's given that and . Substituting for and for in the Pythagorean theorem yields . Taking the square root of both sides of this equation yields . Since the length of a side of a triangle must be positive, the value of is .
Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.
Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.
Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.