Answer:
2
Step-by-step explanation:
One property of a triangle is that the sum of any two sides of a triangle is greater than the third side. Therefore, if the third side was represented by x, this would mean that :
17 + x > 16
16 + x > 17
17 + 16 > x
Since 17 is already greater than 16, there is no limit on x there. However, because 16 is 1 less than 17, x must be greater than 1. Furthermore, since 17+16 is 33, x must be less than 33. Therefore, the smallest whole number that fits these conditions is 2.
