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| Math Central | Quandaries & Queries |
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Question from Cassandra, a student: how do u find a and/or b using the pythagorean theorem of a right triangle? |
Hi there,
The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the two other sides. If we label the sides of the triangle a, b and c, and assume c is the hypotenuse, the "formula" for the theorem is c2 = a2 + b2. If you want to find a or b, simply isolate that variable in the formula before substituting the numbers:
c2 - a2 = b2 or c2 - b2 = a2
So sqrt(c2 - a2) = b or sqrt(c2 - b2) = a
If you plug in the values for the hypotenuse and the known side, you can then find the unknown side.
Hope this helps,
Leeanne
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