THE

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PYTHAGOREAN
THE
THEOREM
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2500 YEARS AGO, A GREEK MATHEMATICAN NAMED
PYTHAGORAS, SAID THAT IN A RIGHT TRIANGLE, THE
SUMS OF THE SQUARES OF THE LENGTHS OF THE LEGS (A
AND B) IS EQUAL TO THE SQUARE OF THE HYPOTENUSE.
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IDENTIFYING THE TRIANGLE
HYPOTENUSE
IS ACROSS FROM THE RIGHT ANGLE
LEG A
LEG B
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a and b are the two legs of the right triangle.
The two legs always make the right angle. The
slanted side is the hypotenuse.
c
a
b
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This is the formula
a² b² c²
ADD THE SQUARES OF A AND B TO GET THE
SQUARE OF C !
c²
a²
b²
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I KNOW YOU ARE WONDERING IS THAT A RIGHT TRIANGLE
???
UHNO !!!
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Right Triangle??
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ITS PROBLEM TIME!
a² b² c²
WRITE FORMULA
5² 12² c²
PLUG IN NUMBERS
25 144 C²
SOLVE
169 C²
169 C
c
13 C
5m
12m
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NOW YOU TRY ONE, AT YOUR DESK!
A IS 12, B IS 16, AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR THE
HYPOTENUSE!
C
16
12
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DID YOU GET IT RIGHT?
a² b² c²
12² 16² c²
144 256 c²
400 c²
C
400 c
16
20 c
12
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TELL WHETHER IT IS A RIGHT TRIANGLE OR NOT
a² b² c²
7
?
4
4² 6² 7²
NOT
?
16 36 49
6
52 49
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A 35 FOOT TELEPHONE POLE NEEDS A SUPPORT WIRE
ATTACHED AT THE TOP OF THE POLE, TO A POINT IN
THE GROUND 20 FEET AWAY FROM THE BASE. ABOUT HOW
LONG SHOULD THE WIRE BE?
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a² b² c²
35² 20² c²
1225 400 c²
C
1625 c²
35
40.3 or 40ft. c
20
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LETS TRY THESE...
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40
C
52
41
C
20
C
26
48
24
10
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Pythagoras of Samos