The Pythagorean Theorem is an important rule in geometry.

It applies to right triangles, which are triangles that have one angle that is exactly 90 degrees.

The theorem says that in a right triangle, if you take the length of the longest side (called the hypotenuse), and square it, this is the same as adding the squares of the other two sides.

You can write it like this:

$$c^2 = a^2 + b^2$$

Here’s what each letter means:

• $c$ is the length of the hypotenuse (the longest side).
• $a$ and $b$ are the lengths of the other two sides.

If you need to find a side that you don’t know, here’s how to do it:

1. Identify the Known Values: Figure out which sides you already know. You could know the hypotenuse ($c$) or one of the legs ($a$ or $b$).

2. Rearrange the Formula:

   • If you're trying to find the hypotenuse, stick with the original formula.
   • If you're trying to find a leg, you can change the formula to:
   $$a^2 = c^2 - b^2$$

   or

   $$b^2 = c^2 - a^2$$

3. Calculate the Missing Side:

   • Put in the values you know.
   • Do the math, and then take the square root to find the length of the missing side.

By using this method, anyone can easily solve for any missing side in a right triangle.

This can help improve problem-solving skills in geometry!