The lengths of two sides of a right triangle are 12 inches and 15 inches. What is the difference between the two possible lengths of the third side of the triangle? Round your answer to the nearest tenth.

There are two possibilities. If 15 inches is the hypotenuse, the third side is √(15² − 12²) = √81 = 9 inches. If 12 and 15 inches are both legs, the third side is √(12² + 15²) = √369 ≈ 19.2 inches. Their difference is about 19.2 − 9 = 10.2 inches, so the answer is D, 10.2 inches.

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