In a right triangle with legs 6 and 8, what is the length of the hypotenuse?

• A. 9
• B. 12
• C. 10
• D. 8

Answer: (C)

In a right triangle, the hypotenuse length comes from the Pythagorean relation: c^2 = a^2 + b^2. With legs 6 and 8, the hypotenuse satisfies c^2 = 6^2 + 8^2 = 36 + 64 = 100, so c = sqrt(100) = 10. This is a familiar 6-8-10 triangle. Among the options, 10 fits the relationship, while 9 and 12 don’t match a^2 + b^2 = c^2 with these legs, and 8 is a leg, not the hypotenuse.