MATH 1310 Introduction to College Math - Milestone 3

Theresa bought a new desktop computer. One side of the desktop screen is 14 inches and the other side is 18 inches. What is the length of the diagonal of the desktop screen? Answer choices are rounded to the nearest inch. RATIONALE We can use the Pythagorean Theorem to calculate the length of a diagonal. The variables a and b represent the sides of the computer, and c represents the diagonal. First, substitute 14 for a and 18 for b. (Note that we could also substitute 18 for a and 14 for b). Once we have the given values plugged into the Pythagorean Theorem, we can evaluate the exponents. 14 squared is 196, and 18 squared is 324. Now we can add these values together. 196 plus 324 is equal to 520. Finally, we can take the square root of both sides to find the value of c. When we have a squared term, such as c², taking the square root of both sides will cancel this operation. The square root of 520 is approximately 23. The length of the diagonal, rounded to the nearest inch, is 23 inches. Report an issue with this question Abby owns a square plot of land. She knows that the area of the plot is between 2200 and 2400 square meters.