Things You'll Need:
- Paper
- Possibly a calculator
- A writing utensil
- The ability to understand and evaluate equations at a Pre-algebra - algebra 1 level.
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Step 1
First, learn this quick formula, called the Pythagorean Theorem. It is very popular in geometry and algebra,
and you will undoubtedly use it if you continue taking courses in mathematics. It is a2 + b2 = c2 (the 2 denotes "squared", or,
to the power of 2). -
Step 2
Now, simply plug in the values for "a" and "b". As previously stated, in order to find the hypotenuse of a triangle,
you must already know variables "a" and "b" in the above formula. Let's say that "a" equals 5, "b" equals 6.
This will give us 25 + 36 = c2. -
Step 3
Simplify the equation. If done correctly, you should get 61 = c2 as your result thus far. In order to solve for "c" by itself -
which is equal to the measurement of the hypotenuse of the triangle you are working on, you must clear the square. To do this, obviously
you need to find the squareroot of 61. 61 is a bit of an ugly number - and you won't be able to find the squareroot in your head.
Utilize your calculator's sqrt - or squareroot - button, and you'll find the answer to be 7.81 (abbreviated to two decimal places). -
Step 4
Practice using this formula a lot. You'll find that it has many uses, not just for hypothetical triangles on paper. For example,
if you need to tie a string to the top of a pole, and have to string reach from the top of the pole to 20 feet away from the bottom of the pole,
how long does the string need to be? The length of the string is the hypotenuse of your triangle, and you can find the hypotenuse with this formula: a2 + b2 = c2.
Comments
joanhaines said
on 10/20/2009 Hypotenuse problems are pretty fun. I'm a big geometry fan. Thanks.