Analog Method For Finding The Hypotenuse

There is always the analog alternative to the Pythagorean Theorem: Get a full sheet of paper (or matboard) with a square corner. Get a ruler. If the measurements are larger than the paper, you may be able to change the scale sufficiently by using a metric ruler if your cove mat measurements have been in inches. Measure the first side in from the corner and place a mark on the edge of the paper. In our example, for the bottom right corner of Figure 1, I've previously measured 2 ruler units up from the corner for D. Then from the same corner, I measured 3 units across for the second variable, S_B, with our yellow yardstick. Finally, I simply measured the distance between those two marks, getting about 3 ^9.7/₁₆". (Yes, I have no shame. (By the way, that would be called a complex fraction.  Avoiding these could be another reason for gong metric.) )