Determine the value of the unknown side of a right triangle:
The two legs of a right triangle are 5 ft and 12 ft. How long is the hypotenuse? Now Let the hypotenuse be c ft.
a2 + b2 = c2
122 + 52 = c2
144 + 25 = c2
169 = c2
√169 = c
13 ft = c
By using the Pythagorean Theorem, one can determine the value of the unknown side of a right triangle while given the value of the other two sides.