To find the length of the hypotenuse in a right triangle when the lengths of the legs are given, we can use the Pythagorean theorem. The theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (c) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides (a and b).
In this case, we have:
- a = 4 units
- b = 5 units
According to the Pythagorean theorem:
c² = a² + b²
Plugging in the values:
c² = 4² + 5²
c² = 16 + 25
c² = 41
To find ‘c’, we take the square root of both sides:
c = √41
Therefore, the length of the hypotenuse is approximately 6.4 units (since √41 is about 6.403). This means that if you have a right triangle with legs measuring 4 units and 5 units, the hypotenuse will be around 6.4 units long.