Science Fact Finder | Mathematics, Numbers, and Computers - What Is The Pythagorean Theorem?

What is the Pythagorean theorem?

In a right triangle (a triangle in which one angle is a "right angle," meaning it measures 90 degrees), the hypotenuse is the side opposite the right angle. It is also the longest side in the triangle. The Pythagorean theorem enables us to find the length of one side of a right triangle, given the lengths of the other two sides. The theorem states that the square of the length of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides (c² = a² + b²).

For instance, if the lengths of the two sides forming the right angle are: a = 4 inches, and b = 3 inches, then the hypotenuse, c, equals 5 inches. It works like this: 4²=16 and 3²=9; 16 + 9 = 25. . This example, where all...

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