The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse length (C) is equal to the sum of the squares of the two other sides (often called legs, A and B). Mathematically, it's expressed as:
C² = A² + B²
Given:
- A = 3 miles
- B = 1 mile
Let's solve for C step by step:
- Square both legs:
A² = 3² = 9
B² = 1² = 1 - Add the squares:
A² + B² = 9 + 1 = 10 - Take the square root of the sum to find C:
C = √10 ≈ 3.162 miles
Answer: The length of side C is approximately 3.162 miles.