The Pythagorean Theorem 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 (called a and b):
c² = a² + b²
Given:
- a = 3.9 inches
- b = 4.4 inches
Step 1: Square each side:
- a² = (3.9)² = 15.21
- b² = (4.4)² = 19.36
Step 2: Add the squares together:
15.21 + 19.36 = 34.57
Step 3: Take the square root of that sum to find c:
c = √34.57 ≈ 5.88 inches
Answer: The length of side c is approximately 5.88 inches.