3 Vocabulary Terms - Define/Illustrate
a^(2 )+b^2=c^2
Which variables represent legs and which is the hypotenuse?
If you are looking at the triangle, how do you know which side is the hypotenuse? If one angle is 90 degrees, making it a right triangle, what is true about the other 2 angles?
1. Pythagorean Theorem - a mathematical formula stating that in a right-angled triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides.
2. Legs - In a right triangle, the sides that form the right angle are known as the legs. They are usually represented by the variables a and b in the Pythagorean Theorem equation a^2 + b^2 = c^2.
3. Hypotenuse - In a right triangle, the side opposite the right angle is known as the hypotenuse. It is usually represented by the variable c in the Pythagorean Theorem equation a^2 + b^2 = c^2. The hypotenuse is the longest side of the triangle.
Illustration:
In the diagram of a right triangle, legs a and b are the sides that form the right angle, while the hypotenuse c is the side opposite the right angle. The Pythagorean Theorem states that the sum of the squares of the lengths of the legs is equal to the square of the length of the hypotenuse.