“Mathematics isn’t just about numbers or equations, it’s about

understanding”

Made by: Mishal Hossain

Introduction:

I was assigned by my math teacher to research about Pythagoras Theorem

and write a note for it by answering the following questions.

1. What is Pythagoras Theorem?

In mathematics, the Pythagorean theorem, also known as Pythagoras' theorem, is a fundamental relation in
Euclidean geometry among the three sides of a right triangle. It states that the area of the square whose side is
the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the areas of the squares on the other two sides.

2. Who invented the Pythagoras Theorem?

This famous theorem is named for the Greek mathematician and philosopher, Pythagoras. Pythagoras
founded the Pythagorean School of Mathematics in Cortona, a Greek seaport in Southern Italy. He is
credited with many contributions to mathematics although some of them may have actually been the work
of his students.

3. Write a note for his work:

Pythagoras Theorem states that for all right-angled triangles, 'The square on the hypotenuse is equal to the
sum of the squares on the other two sides,’ and Pythagoras Theorem only works for right-angled
triangles, so you can use it to test whether a triangle has a right angle or not.

4. Give some examples of Pythagoras Theorem’s work:

The Pythagorean theorem is a way of relating the leg lengths of a right triangle to the length of the
hypotenuse, which is the side opposite the right angle. Even though it is written in these terms, it can be
used to find any of the side as long as you know the lengths of the other two sides. We will look at several
different types of examples of applying this theorem.

In the examples below, we will see how to apply this rule to find any side of a right triangle. As in the
formula below, we will let a and b be the lengths of the legs and c be the length of the hypotenuse.
Remember though, that you could use any variables to represent these lengths.
Example (1)

1. Find the value of x:

Solution:
The side opposite the right angle is the side labelled xx. This is the hypotenuse. When applying the
Pythagorean theorem, this squared is equal to the sum of the other two sides squared. Mathematically, this
means:

62+82=x262+82=x2

Which is the same as:

100=x2100=x2

Therefore, we can write:

x=100−−−√=10

Maybe you remember that in an equation like this, x could also be –10, since –10 squared is also 100.
But, the length of any side of a triangle can never be negative and therefore we only consider the positive
square root.

In other situations, you will be trying to find the length of one of the legs of a right triangle. You can still
use the Pythagorean theorem in these types of problems, but you will need to be careful about the order
you use the values in the formula.
Example (2)

1. Find the value of y:

Solution:
The side opposite the right angle has a length of 12. Therefore, we will write:

82+y2=12282+y2=122
This is the same as:

64+y2=14464+y2=144
Subtracting 64 from both sides:

y2=80y2=80

Therefore:

y=80−−√=16×5−−−−−√=45–√

In this last example, we left the answer in exact form instead of finding a decimal approximation. This is
common unless you are working on an applied problem.

Applications (word problems) with the Pythagorean theorem

There are many different kinds of real-life problems that can be solved using the Pythagorean theorem.
The easiest way to see that you should be applying this theorem is by drawing a picture of whatever
situation is described.
Example (3)
Two hikers leave a cabin at the same time, one heading due south and the other headed due west. After
one hour, the hiker walking south has covered 2.8 miles and the hiker walking west has covered 3.1
miles. At that moment, what is the shortest distance between the two hikers?

Solution:
1. First, sketch a picture of the information given. Label any unknown value with a variable name, like x.

Due south and due west form a right angle, and the shortest distance between any two points is a straight
line. Therefore, we can apply the Pythagorean theorem and write:

3.12+2.82=x2

Here, you will need to use a calculator to simplify the left-hand side:

17.45=x217.45=x2

Now use your calculator to take the square root. You will likely need to round your answer.

x=17.45−−−−√≈4.18 miles x =17.45≈4.18 miles

As you can see, it will be up to you to determine that a right angle is part of the situation given in the
word problem. If it isn’t, then you can’t use the Pythagorean theorem.
5. Write a conclusion:

In conclusion, the Pythagorean theorem allows you to find the length of any of the three sides of a right
triangle. It is one of those things that you should memorize, as it comes up in all areas of math, and
therefore in many different math courses you will probably take. Remember to avoid the common
mistake of mixing up where the legs go in the formula vs the hypotenuse and to always draw a picture
when one isn’t given.