Which is a true statement about an isosceles right triangle?

A. Each leg is [tex]$\sqrt{2}$[/tex] times as long as the hypotenuse.
B. Each leg is [tex]$\sqrt{3}$[/tex] times as long as the hypotenuse.
C. The hypotenuse is [tex]$\sqrt{3}$[/tex] times as long as either leg.
D. The hypotenuse is [tex]$\sqrt{2}$[/tex] times as long as either leg.



Answer :

To determine the true statement about an isosceles right triangle, let's investigate the properties of an isosceles right triangle step-by-step.

An isosceles right triangle has two sides (legs) of the same length and one side (the hypotenuse) that is longer. The right angle is between the two legs.

1. Consider a typical isosceles right triangle where each leg has a length of [tex]\( a \)[/tex].

2. Using the Pythagorean theorem:
[tex]\[ \text{Hypotenuse}^2 = \text{Leg}^2 + \text{Leg}^2 \][/tex]
[tex]\[ \text{Hypotenuse}^2 = a^2 + a^2 \][/tex]
[tex]\[ \text{Hypotenuse}^2 = 2a^2 \][/tex]

3. Taking the square root of both sides to solve for the hypotenuse:
[tex]\[ \text{Hypotenuse} = \sqrt{2a^2} \][/tex]
[tex]\[ \text{Hypotenuse} = a\sqrt{2} \][/tex]

4. Therefore, the hypotenuse is:
[tex]\[ \sqrt{2} \text{ times as long as either leg.} \][/tex]

Given the analysis, we can see that the correct answer is:

D. The hypotenuse is [tex]\(\sqrt{2}\)[/tex] times as long as either leg.

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