Geometry and TrigonometryEasy–MediumSide of a rectangle from its diagonal
Geometry and Trigonometry practice question
A rectangle has a diagonal of length 26 centimetres and one side of length 24 centimetres. What is the length, in centimetres, of the other side?
Answer: 10
The diagonal is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with the two sides as legs: √(26² − 24²) = √(676 − 576) = √100 = 10.
Common wrong answers
- If you answered 2
- 2 is 26 − 24; lengths don't subtract directly, their squares do.
- If you answered 100
- 100 is 26² − 24²; take the square root.
- If you answered 35.4
- 35.4 is √(26² + 24²), adding as if 26 were a side; the diagonal is the hypotenuse, so subtract.
More Geometry and Trigonometry questions
- Easy–Medium
A circle has a radius of 6. What is its area? (Use A = πr².) - Easy–Medium
A right triangle has legs of length 6 and 8. What is the length of the hypotenuse? - Easy–Medium
A circle has a radius of 5. What is its circumference? (Use C = 2πr.) - Easy–Medium
What is the midpoint of the segment joining the points (2, 3) and (8, 11)? - Easy–Medium
What is the measure, in degrees, of angle B? - Easy–Medium
What is the area, in square centimeters, of the trapezoid?
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