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



 





