A computer monitor is listed as being 22 inches. This distance is the diagonal distance across the screen. If the screen measures 12 inches in height, what is the actual width of the screen to the nearest inch? 22 inches
18.43 inches
25.05 inches
32.5 inches

Answer

The width of the screen is 18.43.

Explanation

Use the Pythagorean Theorem (a^2+b^2=c^2) to find the height.

In a right triangle, a and b are legs. In this instance, a and b would be the height and width of the computer monitor. Let's say the height is a and the width is b (you're trying to find b). The hypotenuse of a right triangle is c. For the computer monitor, c is the diagonal.

So put in everything you know to find b; 12^2+b^2=22^2.

12^2 is 144 and 22^2 is 484. Now you have 144+b^2=484. When you simplify, you get b^2=340. When you simplify again, you find that b is about 18.43.