Question

In a 45-45-90 triangle, what is the length of the hypotenuse when the length of one of the legs is 8 in.?

Answer 1

The length of hypotenuse is `8sqrt(2)`. See explanation.

Explanation:

The triangle has 2 equal angles, so it is an isosceles triangle. It is also a right triangle, which means that the catheti have the same length. Using the Pythagorean theorem and the above fact we can write that:

`8^2+8^2=c^2`

`c^2=2*64`

`c=8sqrt(2)`