The Pythagorean Theorem is a really useful tool for figuring out if a triangle is a right triangle.
To jog your memory, it says that in a right triangle, the square of the longest side, called the hypotenuse (we'll call it (c)), is the same as the sum of the squares of the other two sides, which we’ll call (a) and (b).
We can write this as:
Now let's see how we can use this to tell the difference between three types of triangles:
Right Triangle: If (c^2) equals (a^2 + b^2), then you have a right triangle. Easy to spot!
Acute Triangle: If (c^2) is less than (a^2 + b^2), all the angles in the triangle are less than 90 degrees. This means you have an acute triangle.
Obtuse Triangle: If (c^2) is greater than (a^2 + b^2), at least one angle in the triangle is greater than 90 degrees. This type is called an obtuse triangle.
Using the Pythagorean Theorem like this has always helped me quickly tell apart triangles in geometry class.
It's like having a little math detective tool that makes everything easier!
The Pythagorean Theorem is a really useful tool for figuring out if a triangle is a right triangle.
To jog your memory, it says that in a right triangle, the square of the longest side, called the hypotenuse (we'll call it (c)), is the same as the sum of the squares of the other two sides, which we’ll call (a) and (b).
We can write this as:
Now let's see how we can use this to tell the difference between three types of triangles:
Right Triangle: If (c^2) equals (a^2 + b^2), then you have a right triangle. Easy to spot!
Acute Triangle: If (c^2) is less than (a^2 + b^2), all the angles in the triangle are less than 90 degrees. This means you have an acute triangle.
Obtuse Triangle: If (c^2) is greater than (a^2 + b^2), at least one angle in the triangle is greater than 90 degrees. This type is called an obtuse triangle.
Using the Pythagorean Theorem like this has always helped me quickly tell apart triangles in geometry class.
It's like having a little math detective tool that makes everything easier!