SOLUTION: Which is the best approximation of the perimeter of a right isosceles triangle ifits hypotenuse is 12 units long?

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Question 290185: Which is the best approximation of the perimeter of a right isosceles triangle ifits hypotenuse is 12 units long?
Answer by solver91311(24713) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


The sides of a right isosceles triangle are in proportion:



So if the hypotenuse is 12, then the perimeter is:



And that is the exact answer. There is no such thing as the "best" approximation. No matter how many decimal digits you use for the square root of two, you can never express it exactly. So you can choose any level of accuracy you desire, but then I can come back and express it to even greater accuracy -- and you can then do the same thing...forever.

Now if you have some answers to choose from that you didn't share, one of them is likely a better approximation than the other three or four, but there is really no way for me to tell since you failed to take the time to put them into the problem.

John