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Is this a right triangle?

Is this a right triangle?-example-1
User Yashdosi
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1 Answer

4 votes

The only way to really tell is to check it with the Pythagorean Theorem.

The Pythagorean Theorem describes every right triangle, and every triangle that fits the Pythagorean Theorem has a right angle in it. Guaranteed. This is incredibly handy.

If this IS a right triangle, then

(one leg squared) + (the other leg squared) = (the hypotenuse squared) .

Let's check it out:

-- One leg squared = (11 cm)² . That's 121 cm² .

-- The other leg squared = (√99 cm)² . That's 99 cm² .

-- Their sum is (121 + 99) cm² . That's 220 cm² .

-- The hypotenuse squared is (15 cm)² . That's 225 cm² .

Is 220 cm² equal to 225 cm² ?

NO ! They are not equal. They are different !

The sum of the squares of the legs is NOT equal to the square of the hippopotamus.

==> This triangle does NOT fit the Pythagorean Theorem.

==> It is NOT a right triangle.

(The angle in the bottom corner is slightly bigger than 90°. But you can't tell by looking at it. It's so close that you can only tell by checkoing the lengths againt the Pythagorean Theorem.)

User BobbyGopnik
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