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Pythagorean Theorem Explained

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17 views4 pages

Pythagorean Theorem Explained

Uploaded by

EL CHACHy 00
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Lesson 9-2

Pythagorean Theorem and Its Converse


Today’s Goals
Explore Proving the Pythagorean Theorem ● Use the Pythagorean
Theorem to solve
Online Activity​  Use dynamic geometry software to complete problems involving
the Explore. right triangles.
● Classify triangles using
the converse of the
 INQUIRY How can you use triangle similarity
Pythagorean Theorem.
to prove the Pythagorean Theorem?
Today’s Vocabulary
Pythagorean triple
Learn The Pythagorean Theorem
The Pythagorean Theorem relates the lengths of the hypotenuse and
legs of a right triangle.
Theorem 9.4: Pythagorean Theorem
In a right triangle, the sum of the squares of the lengths of the legs is
equal to the square of the length of the hypotenuse.

Go Online A proof of the Pythagorean Theorem is available.


A Pythagorean triple is a set of three nonzero whole numbers a, b, and c,
such that a2 + b2 = c2. The most common Pythagorean triples are shown
below in the first row. The triples below them are found by multiplying each
number in the triple by the same factor.

Common Pythagorean Triples


3, 4, 5 5, 12, 13 8, 15, 17 7, 24, 25 Math History
Minute
6, 8, 10 10, 24, 26 16, 30, 34 14, 48, 50
The Pythagorean
9, 12, 15 15, 36, 39 24, 45, 51 21, 72, 75
Theorem is named
3x, 4x, 5x 5x, 12x, 13x 8x, 15x, 17x 7x, 24x, 25x
for the Greek
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education

mathematician
Example 1 Find Missing Measures by Using the Pythagoras (c. 570 B.C.-
Pythagorean Theorem c. 495 B.C.), although
it is believed that
Find the value of x. 17 7 Babylonian,
The side opposite the right angle is Mesopotamian,
the hypotenuse, so c = x. Indian, and Chinese
x mathematicians all
a2 + b2 = c2 Pythagorean Theorem discovered the theorem
172 + 72 = x2 a = 17, b = 7, and c = x independently. To date,
289 + 49 = x2 Simplify. over 370 different
proofs of this theorem
338 = x2 Add.
____ have been verified,
√
​​ 338 ​​ = x
__
Take the positive square root of each side. including one written in
13​​√2 ​​ = x Simplify. 2006 by Iranian 14-year-
old Sina Shiehyan.
Go Online You can complete an Extra Example online.

Lesson 9-2 • Pythagorean Theorem and Its Converse 513


THIS MATERIAL IS PROVIDED FOR INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND MAY NOT BE DOWNLOADED OR FURTHER DISTRIBUTED.
Your Notes Example 2 Use a Pythagorean Triple
50
Use a Pythagorean triple to
Go Online find the value of x.
14 x
An alternate method is
available for this
example. Notice that 14 and 50 are both multiples of 2, because 14 = 2 ⋅ 7 and
50 = 2 ⋅ 25. Because 7, 24, 25 is a Pythagorean triple, the missing leg
length x is 2 ⋅ 24 or 48 .

Talk About It! Check 48


Draw a right triangle
Use a Pythagorean triple to
with side lengths that
find the value of x.
form a Pythagorean 20
triple. If you double the x
x = 52
length of each side, is
the resulting triangle
acute, right, or obtuse?
if you halve the length
of each side? Justify Example 3 Use the Pythagorean Theorem
your argument.
ZIP LINING A summer camp is building a new zip lining course. The
Right; sample answer: If designer of the course wants the last zip line to start at a platform
you double or halve the 450 meters above the ground and end 775 meters away from the
side lengths, all three base of the platform. How long must the zip line be to meet the
sides of the new triangles designer’s specifications?
are proportional to the Step 1 Visualize and describe the situation.
sides of the original
The base of the platform and the
triangle. Using the Side-
ground should be approximately
Side-Side Similarity
perpendicular. We need to find
Theorem, you know that
the length of the zip line, which 450 m
both of the new triangles
is the hypotenuse of the right
are similar to the original
triangle. Draw a diagram that
triangle, so they are both
models the situation.
right triangles.

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education


775 m
Step 2 Find the length of the zip line.

Think About It! Use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the length x of the zip line.
Is your answer 4502 + 7752 = x2 Pythagorean Theorem
reasonable? Use
202,500 + 600,625 = x2 Simplify.
estimation to justify
your reasoning. 803,125 = x2 Add.
_______
​√803,125 ​​ = x Take the positive square root of each side.
Yes; sample answer: _____
803,125 is approximately 25​​√1285 ​​ = x Simplify.
810,000. Because the ____
So, the length of the zip line is 25​​√1285 ​​ or about 896.17 meters.
square root of 810,000 is
900, it is reasonable that
the square root of 803,125
is 896.17.
Go Online You can complete an Extra Example online.

514 Module 9 • Right Triangles and Trigonometry


THIS MATERIAL IS PROVIDED FOR INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND MAY NOT BE DOWNLOADED OR FURTHER DISTRIBUTED.
Check
RAMPS Lincoln High School is installing more wheelchair ramps
around the school. One of the new ramps needs to have a base that is
12 feet long and reaches a height of 1 foot. If the side of the ramp forms
a right triangle, how long should the inclined surface of the ramp be?
Find____
the exact length of the inclined surface of the ramp.
√​​ 145 ​​ ft

Learn Converse of the Pythagorean Theorem


The converse of the Pythagorean Theorem also holds. You can use this
theorem to determine whether a triangle is a right triangle given the
measures of all three sides.
Theorem 9.5: Converse of the Pythagorean Theorem
Go Online
If the sum of the squares of the lengths of the shortest sides of a
A proof of Theorem 9.5
triangle is equal to the square of the length of the longest side, then
is available.
the triangle is a right triangle.

You can also use side lengths to classify a triangle as acute or obtuse.
Theorem 9.6
If the square of the length of the B
longest side of a triangle is less than
the sum of the squares of the lengths
of the other two sides, then the c
triangle is an acute triangle. a Study Tip
Example Determining the
Longest Side If the
If c2 < a2 + b2, then △ABC is acute. measures of any of the
C b A
sides of a triangle are
Theorem 9.7 expressed as radicals,
If the square of the B you may wish to use a
length of the longest side calculator to determine
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education

of a triangle is greater c which side is the longest.


than the sum of the a
squares of the lengths of
the other two sides, then the C b A
triangle is an obtuse triangle.
Example
If c2 > a2 + b2, then △ABC is obtuse.

You will prove Theorems 9.6 and 9.7 in Exercises 23 and 24, respectively.

Lesson 9-2 • Pythagorean Theorem and Its Converse 515


THIS MATERIAL IS PROVIDED FOR INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND MAY NOT BE DOWNLOADED OR FURTHER DISTRIBUTED.
Example 4 Classify Triangles
Determine whether the points A(2, 2), B(5, 7), and C(10, 6) can be
the vertices of a triangle. If so, classify the triangle as acute, right, or
obtuse. Justify your answer.

Step 1 Calculate the measures of the sides.


¯,
¯, ​​ BC ​​
Use the Distance Formula to calculate the measures of ​​ AB ​​
¯
and ​ ​AC ​​.
____________________ ___________________
√  
AB = ​ (5 - 2)2 + (7 - 2)2 ​​ √
BC = ​ (10
   - 5)2 + (6 - 7)2 ​​
_________ __________
√
= ​ 32 + 52 ​​ = ​√5 + (-1)  ​​
2 2

__ __
Study Tip = ​√34 ​​ = ​√26 ​​
___________________
Approximations
When finding the side √
AC = ​ (10
   - 2)2 + (6 - 2)2 ​​
________
lengths of a triangle
using the Distance
√
= ​ 82 + 42 ​​
__
Formula, it may be
= ​√80 ​​
easier to work with the
__
side lengths after using
= 4​​√5 ​​
a calculator to
approximate their
Use a calculator to approximate the measure of each side. So,
measures. However,
AB ≈ 5.83, BC ≈ 5.10, and AC ≈ 8.94.
when classifying a
triangle, your final Step 2 Determine whether the measures can form a triangle.
calculations will be
more accurate if you Use the Triangle Inequality Theorem to determine whether the
keep the side lengths measures 5.83, 5.10, and 8.94 can form a triangle.
in radical form.
5.83 + 5.10 > 8.94 ✓  5.83 + 8.94 > 5.10 ✓  5.10 + 8.94 > 5.83 ✓

The side lengths 5.83, 5.10, and 8.94 can form a triangle.

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education


Think About It! Step 3 Classify the triangle.
Does your conclusion
seem reasonable? Classify the triangle by comparing the square of the longest side to
Explain. the sum of the squares of the other two sides.
c2 ≟ a2 + b2 Compare c2 and a2 + b2.
2
Yes; sample answer: If you 8.942 ≟ 5.83 + 5.102 c = 8.94, a = 5.83, and b = 5.10
graph the triangle on the
79.9 > 60.0 Simplify and compare.
coordinate plane, it
appears to be obtuse. Because c2 > a2 + b2, the triangle is obtuse .

Check
Determine whether the points J(1, 6), K(3, 2), and L(5, 3) can be the
vertices of a triangle. If so, classify the triangle as acute, right, or
obtuse. yes; right

Go Online You can complete an Extra Example online.

516 Module 9 • Right Triangles and Trigonometry


THIS MATERIAL IS PROVIDED FOR INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND MAY NOT BE DOWNLOADED OR FURTHER DISTRIBUTED.

Common questions

Powered by AI

The scenario involves a right triangle with known base and height. By setting the base of the platform and ground to be perpendicular, the height is taken as one leg and the distance from the base as another. The hypotenuse can then be calculated with the Pythagorean Theorem as x = √(450^2 + 775^2) = √803,125, resulting in approximately 896.17 meters, which is the length of the zip line .

The Triangle Inequality Theorem stipulates that any two sides of a triangle must sum to be greater than the third side. Given three points, calculate distances such that for sides a, b, c, a + b > c, a + c > b, and b + c > a must all hold true. Verification of these inequalities affirms the points form a triangle; failing any shows linear alignment or degeneracy .

Visual estimation allows a quick, intuitive check of plausibility, guiding more detailed calculation and analysis based on numerical methods. Using calculators for precise calculations provides exactness necessary for proofs and measuring expected relationships, complementing visual and mental estimation to affirm whether results align with theoretical expectations, such as confirming triangle properties .

The Math History Minute notes that while the Pythagorean Theorem is named after the Greek mathematician Pythagoras, it was independently discovered by Babylonian, Mesopotamian, Indian, and Chinese mathematicians. Additionally, the theorem has been proven in various ways, with over 370 proofs verified, including a notable one by a 14-year-old Iranian student .

Multiplying each member of a Pythagorean triple by the same integer yields another valid Pythagorean triple. This is due to algebraic properties preserving equality when scaled, meaning (kx)^2 + (ky)^2 = (kz)^2, maintains the relationship of the original a^2 + b^2 = c^2 for any integer k. This scalability shows how infinite solutions exist to such equations .

Theorem 9.6 can be proved by showing that if c^2 < a^2 + b^2, the triangle is acute, using a triangle's angle subtended by the longest side. Similarly, Theorem 9.7 states if c^2 > a^2 + b^2, the triangle is obtuse. Prove this by demonstrating how the angle opposite the longest side exceeds 90 degrees, altering the inequality relationship intrinsic to right and acute triangles .

The Distance Formula calculates the straight-line distances between points to identify triangle sides when given coordinates. For points A(x1, y1), B(x2, y2), and C(x3, y3), it provides side-length measures to be used with Pythagorean or other triangle-related theorems, verifying the geometric and mathematical properties of the potentially resultant triangle .

The Converse of the Pythagorean Theorem states that if the sum of the squares of the two shorter sides of a triangle equals the square of the longest side, then the triangle is a right triangle. This allows for the classification of triangles as acute, right, or obtuse by comparing the squares of the triangle's sides. If the longest side's square is greater, the triangle is obtuse, and if it's lesser, the triangle is acute .

To prove the Pythagorean Theorem using triangle similarity, consider a right triangle and create two smaller triangles by dropping a perpendicular from the right angle to the hypotenuse. These smaller triangles are similar to the original triangle and to each other. By setting up proportions based on the similarity of these triangles, you can derive the equation a^2 + b^2 = c^2, where c is the hypotenuse and a, b are the other two sides .

Pythagorean triples are sets of three integers that satisfy the Pythagorean Theorem equation a^2 + b^2 = c^2. These triples can simplify calculations as they serve as known solutions to the theorem, allowing for quick verification and computation in a problem. For example, they can be used to scale up to find other triples or determine unknown third sides of right triangles when two sides are multiples of known triple components .

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