Answer:
altitude = 15 cm
Step-by-step explanation:
you can use the Pythagorean Theorem where you have a right triangle with a base of 8 (half of 16), a hypotenue of 17, and the altitude is 'a'
a² + 8² = 17²
a² + 64 = 289
a² = 225
a = [tex]\sqrt{225}[/tex]
a = 15