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Could this set of numbers represent the lengths of the sides of a right triangle? {5,9,13}

1 Answer

4 votes

Answer:

No

Explanation:

You want to know if lengths {5, 9, 13} can form a right triangle.

Pythagorean triples

There are a few Pythagorean triples, sets of integers that can form a right triangle, that show up often in school problems.

Among them are {3, 4, 5}, {5, 12, 13}, {7, 24, 25}, {8, 15, 17}.

The triple containing the values 5 and 13 is {5, 12, 13}. Sides of lengths {5, 9, 13} will not form a right triangle.

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Additional comment

You can check to see if these lengths satisfy the relation ...

a² +b² = c²

5² +9² = 25 +81 = 106 ≠ 13² = 169

The given triple cannot form a right triangle.

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Could this set of numbers represent the lengths of the sides of a right triangle? {5,9,13}-example-1
User Kyle Delaney
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