Question

Instructions

A "Pythagorean Triple" is a set of positive integers, a, b and c that fits the rule: a2+ b2= c2.

Here is a list of a few Pythagorean Triples:

(3, 4, 5)

(5, 12, 13)

(6, 8, 10)

(7, 24, 25)

(8, 15, 17)

(9, 40, 41)

(10, 24, 26)

(11, 60, 61)

(12, 35, 37)

(13, 84, 85)

(14, 48, 50)

(15, 112, 113)

(16, 63, 65)

(17, 144, 145)

(18, 80, 82)

(19, 180, 181)

(20, 21, 29)

(20, 99, 101)

(21, 220, 221)

(23, 264, 265)

Pick a Pythagorean Triple and use the Pythagorean Theorem to verify that

a2+ b2= c2. Explain your step-by-step approach to solving the problem.

Answer 1

Lets just choose the first one, 3 4 and 5. According to the Pythagorean Theorem,
a^2+b^2=c^2

So lets plug in our numbers.

3^2+4^2=c^2

The answer should be 5, but lets make sure.

3*3 = 9
4*4 = 16
9+16=c^2
25 = c^2
Square root both sides so:
5=c
And sure enough 5 is the last number on that list. The order doesn’t matter as long as the value you are trying to find is the c^2.