What is it? :
What is it? The Pythagorean Theorem uses right triangles to find unknown distances.
If we know the lengths of two sides of a right triangle, then the Pythagorean Theorem allows us to find the length of the third side.
Right Triangles :
Right Triangles In a right triangle, the two shortest sides are the legs.
The side opposite the right angle is the hypotenuse. Leg Leg Hypotenuse ┓
The Pythagorean Theorem :
The Pythagorean Theorem In any right triangle, the sum of the squares of the lengths of the legs equals the square of the length of the hypotenuse. c ┓ b a
Find the Length of a Hypotenuse :
Find the Length of a Hypotenuse 8 in. ┓ 15 in. c 17 in. Substitute Take the square root of each side Simplify Pythagorean Theorem a b
Find the Length of a Leg :
Find the Length of a Leg 8 in. ┓ a 10 in. Substitute Take the square root of each side Simplify Pythagorean Theorem Subtract 64 from each side b c 6 in.