Page 1: Introduction to Pythagorean Theorem

This page introduces the fundamental concepts of the Pythagorean theorem and its basic applications. The page demonstrates various examples of calculating missing sides in right triangles using the theorem's formula.

Definition: The Pythagorean theorem states that a² + b² = c², where c is the hypotenuse and a and b are the legs of a right triangle.

Highlight: The theorem only works for right triangles, and when finding the square root, only positive values are considered since length cannot be negative.

Example: A right triangle with legs of 3 and 4 units yields a hypotenuse of 5 units (3² + 4² = 5²).

Vocabulary:

• Hypotenuse: The longest side of a right triangle, opposite to the right angle
• Legs: The two sides that form the right angle
• Pythagorean triples: Sets of three whole numbers that satisfy the Pythagorean theorem, like 3-4-5