Question

When finding the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle, why might you approximate the answer?

Answer 1

In a right angled triangle, length of hypotenuse is calculated by using the formula :

`Hypotenuse^(2)= \sqrt{Base^(2) + Perpendicular^(2) }`

Now, there could be a possibility that the term under square root does not form a complete square, then an approximation of the root will make more sense in calculating the length of hypotenuse.

For real-world problems, you would want an approximation, so that you will have an estimate of the length you are looking to find out.