SOLUTIONS AND APPLICATIONS OF RIGHT TRIANGLE
RIGHT TRIANGLE – is a triangle with exactly one (1) right angle.
1. Hypotenuse – is the side opposite the
90o angle
and it is also considered to be
the longest side.
2. Legs–these are the remaining sides of a
right triangle which may be
shorter or longer.
3. Angles
Pythagorean Theorem
In a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is
equal to the sum of the square of its legs.
In symbols:
e.g.
In symbols:
|
e.g.
1) a
= 8; b
= 15; c = ?
c2 = a2 + b2
c2 = 82 + 152
c2 = 64+225
c = sqrt 289
c = 17
2) a
= ?; b
= 4; c = 5
a2 = c2–
b2
a2 = 52–
42
a2 =25– 16
a
= sqrt 9
a = 3
3) a =
12; b
= ?; c
= 37
b2 = c2
– a2
b2 = 372
– 122
b2 = 1369 –144
b
= sqrt 1225
b = 35
Sample Problems
1) A
wall 12ft high cast a shadow 5ft long from the foot. Find the distance from the
top of the wall to the tip of the shadow.
Illustration:
Given: a = 5ft; b =
12ft; c = ?
Solution:c2
= a2 + b2
c2 = (5ft)2 +
(12ft)2
c2 = 25ft2 + 144ft2
c = sqrt 169
c = 13ft
2) A ladder 9m long is placed 6m from the foot of a tree. Up to what height does the ladder reach the tree? |
Illustration:
Given: a = 6m; b =?; c = 9m
Solution:b2 = c2– b2
b2 = (9m)2 – (6m)2
b2 = 81m2
–36m2
b = sqrt 45
b
= 6.71m