Question 84067
<pre>
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.

{{{drawing(400,400,0,35,0,35, triangle(0,0,0,26.47,24.4,26.47),
   triangle(0,0,24.4,0,24.4,26.47), locate(9,2,"a=width=24.4 in"),
   locate(9,10,"c=diagonal=36 in"),locate(25,12,"b=height=?") 

 )}}}
<b>
Just use the Pythagorean theorm:

           c² = a² + b²
          36² = 24.4² + b²
         1296 = 595.36 + b²
1296 - 595.36 = b²
       700.64 = b²
{{{sqrt(700.64)}}} = 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! </b><font face = "wingdings" size = 6>J</font>
<b>
Edwin</pre>