Pythagorean Theorem Basics

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Pythagorean Theorem Basics
Q When should I use the Pythagorean Theorem? A
When I need to find a SIDE length of a RIGHT
triangle.
The right angle points to c (the hypotenuse).
a and b are the sides that make the right
angle (the legs). You MUST plug in the numbers
to the correct side of the equation!
Formula
EXAMPLES
The right angle points to the side that is 25
units long, so we plug in 25 for c. It does
not matter if you plug 15 in for a or b.
The right angle points to the side we dont know,
so it is c that we are looking for.
Subtract to get b alone.
Be Careful! The last step in Pythagorean Theorem
problems is to take the square root.
Dont forget to take the square root!
Created by Shonna Norton 4/8/08