16Hit1600
Geometry and TrigonometryVery hardAltitude from the segments it cuts on the hypotenuse

Geometry and Trigonometry practice question

In right triangle ABC, the right angle is at C. The altitude from C meets the hypotenuse AB at point D, with AD = 4 and DB = 9. What is the length of CD?

Answer: 6

The altitude to the hypotenuse is the geometric mean of the two segments: CD² = AD × DB = 36, so CD = 6.

Common wrong answers

If you answered 13
13 is AB.
If you answered 36
36 is CD².
If you answered 6.5
6.5 is half of AB.

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