Question #N825
In triangle \(ABC\), \(\angle A\) is a right angle, \(AB = 5\), and \(AC = 12\). What is the length of \(BC\)?
A. 7
B. 13
C. 17
D. 60
Correct Answer is: B
Triangle ABC is a right triangle, so we can use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the length of BC. The Pythagorean Theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. In this case, BC is the hypotenuse. So, we have \(BC^2 = AB^2 + AC^2\). Substituting the given values, we get \(BC^2 = 5^2 + 12^2\), which simplifies to \(BC^2 = 25 + 144\), or \(BC^2 = 169\). Taking the square root of both sides, we find \(BC = 13\).