Pythagorean Theorem - Notes
Leg
The sides of a right triangle that form the right angle.
leg
leg
Hypotenuse
The side opposite the right angle in a right triangle
hypotenuse
Pythagorean Theorem
The rule that states that, for any right triangle, the area of the
square on the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the areas of
the squares on the legs.
Formula:
𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝟐𝟐 + 𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝟐𝟐 = 𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝟐𝟐 OR a2 + b2 = c2
Pythagorean Triple
Three whole-number side lengths of a right triangle.
Example: 3-4-5 is a Pythagorean triple because
32 + 42 = 52
5
9 + 16 = 25
3
25 = 25
4
3 cm
5 cm
4 cm
a 2 + b2 = c 2
9 cm2 + 16 cm2 = 25 cm2
The sum of the areas of the two squares off of triangle’s legs equals the
area of the square off of the triangle’s hypotenuse.