Pythagorean Theorem

Pythagoras

• Born on the Greek Isle of Samos in the 6th Century

• Lived from 569-500 BC• He studied and made

contributions in the fields of Mathematics, Music and Astronomy

What is Pythagorean Theorem?

• Only applies to right triangles

• It states that the square of the two legs is equal to the square of the Hypotenuse

How do I use it?

• The formula looks like this…

• The hypotenuse is always c

• a and b are the legs• Plug in the values you

know and solve for the ones you don’t

It is also a proof

• We can use it to prove we have a right triangle

• Plug in the numbers and see if both sides are equal

25 + 144 = 169 169 = 169

Lets try a problem together

• We have triangle SAM• Use the formula and

plug in the values we know

The 3,4,5 Right Triangle

• There are special types of right triangles called Pythagorean Triples

• One is the 3,4, 5 triangle • The sides follow the ratio

of 3:4:5• If you recognize his

relationship you can quickly find the missing side without working through the theorem