Digital PSAT Math Practice Question 143: Answer and Explanation

Question: 143

In a right triangle with legs of length a and b, what is the value of the hypotenuse of the triangle?

• A.
• B.
• C.
• D. a² + b²

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

(C) In a right triangle, we can use the Pythagorean theorem to solve for an unknown hypotenuse. a² + b² = c² where a and b are the 2 shorter legs and c is the hypotenuse. To solve for c, you take the square root of both sides:

This matches choice (C).