The measure of a big-screen television is given by the length of a diagonal across the screen. A 60-inch television has a width 48.0 in. Find the height of the screen to the nearest tenth of an inch.
A) 10.4 in
B) 36.0 in
C) 12.0 in
D) 1296.0 in
E) 3.5 in

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The height of the screen can be found using the Pythagorean theorem, $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$, where $c$ is the diagonal (60 inches), $a$ is the width (48 inches), and $b$ is the height we need to find. Solving for $b$, we get $b = \sqrt{c^2 - a^2} = \sqrt{60^2 - 48^2} = \sqrt{3600 - 2304} = \sqrt{1296} = 36$ inches.

The Measure of a Big-Screen Television Is Given by the Length