If a right triangle has legs of lengths 8 and 15, what is the length of the hypotenuse?

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Multiple Choice

If a right triangle has legs of lengths 8 and 15, what is the length of the hypotenuse?

Explanation:
In a right triangle, the hypotenuse length comes from the Pythagorean theorem: c^2 = a^2 + b^2. With legs 8 and 15, compute 8^2 + 15^2 = 64 + 225 = 289, so c = sqrt(289) = 17. This 8-15-17 combination is a classic Pythagorean triple, which is why the hypotenuse is a whole number. The other numbers listed wouldn’t satisfy c^2 = 8^2 + 15^2.

In a right triangle, the hypotenuse length comes from the Pythagorean theorem: c^2 = a^2 + b^2. With legs 8 and 15, compute 8^2 + 15^2 = 64 + 225 = 289, so c = sqrt(289) = 17. This 8-15-17 combination is a classic Pythagorean triple, which is why the hypotenuse is a whole number. The other numbers listed wouldn’t satisfy c^2 = 8^2 + 15^2.

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