The measure of a big-screen television is given by the length of a diagonal
across the screen. A 36-inch television has a width of 24.4in. Find the height
of the screen to the nearest tenth of an inch.



Just use the Pythagorean theorm:

           c² = a² + b²
          36² = 24.4² + b²
         1296 = 595.36 + b²
1296 - 595.36 = b²
       700.64 = b²
 = b
  b = 26.46960521

or about 26.5 inches.

It's odd to have a TV screen higher
than it is wide, but that's the way
it works out.  Maybe the TV was 
lying on its side! J

Edwin