Problem
A right triangle has legs of length 3 and 4. Find the length of the hypotenuse.
📝Step-by-Step Solution
1
Identify what we know
We have a right triangle with legs a = 3 and b = 4. We need to find the hypotenuse c.
2
Write the Pythagorean theorem
The formula is a² + b² = c²
a² + b² = c²
3
Substitute and calculate
3² + 4² = c² → 9 + 16 = c² → 25 = c²
25 = c²
4
Solve for c
Take the square root of both sides: c = √25 = 5
c = √25 = 5
✅Final Answer
The hypotenuse is 5 units long
The 3-4-5 triangle is the most famous Pythagorean triple. A Pythagorean triple is a set of three positive integers a, b, c that satisfy a² + b² = c². Other common triples include 5-12-13 and 8-15-17.
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