Question

Donna's TV screen is 20 inches long. If the diagonal measures 25 inches, how long is the width of Donna's TV?

Answer 1

Donna's TV has a width of 15 inches.

Explanation:

This problem is a basic right triangle issue, using the Pythagorean Theorem to solve for the missing length of a side.

The Pythagorean Theorem states that the square of the hypotenuse (diagonal) of any right triangle is equal to the same of the squares of the two legs.

`a^2 + b^2 = c^2`

For this situation the television screen is cut by a diagonal of 25 inches and the length of the side is 20 inches. We can use `a^2 + b^2 = c^2` to solve for the missing. side. Where a = 20" b = ?" and c = 25".

`20^2 + n^2 = 25^2`
`200 + n^2 = 625`
`n^2 = 225`
`n = sqrt225`
`n = 15`

Donna's TV has a width of 15 inches.