How Do You Use The Pythagorean Theorem To Solve Right Triangle Problems?
A very popular topic in algebra is solving right triangle problems using the Pythagorean Theorem. The theorem is a simple formula which shows the relationship between the sides of any right triangle. It requires a basic knowledge of squaring and “square rooting.” The topic is also made easier if one is familiar with what are known as Pythagorean Triples. These topics are discussed in articles that are linked to in the Resource section. Take a look at this right triangle. A right triangle is simply a triangle that contains a right angle (90°). The longest side is called the hypotenuse, and we often denote it “c.” The other two sides are called legs, and we often denote them “a” and “b.” Assuming that we have labeled our triangle in that way, the following theorem applies. In words, the square of leg “a” plus the square of leg “b” equals the square of hypotenuse “c.” That is all there is to it. Typically in a right triangle problem we are given the lengths of two out the three sides, and
