How do you find the Hypoentuse of a right triangle?

Question

In a right triangle, identify it's hypoentuse and find it's length.
How do you answer this question?

Answer 1

The hypoteneuse of a right triangle is it's longest side. The square of the hypoteneuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. So if you know the length of the other two sides, square them, add them together and take the square root.

Answer 2

The easiest way to identify the hypotenuse of a right triangle is to find the side opposite the right angle.
Reason: In any triangle, the hypotenuse is the longest side. This side is always opposite the largest angle. By definition, the largest angle in a right triangle is 90 degrees, so the side opposite this angle must be the longest.

As for the length, this can be found in one of essentially two ways, depending on what information you have.

If two sides are known:
Pythagorean Theorem (Leg)^2+(Leg)^2=(Hypotenuse)^2
Solve this equation for the hypotenuse.

If a side and an angle other than the right angle are known:
Trigonometry
(sin of angle)=(opposite leg length)/(hypotenuse length)
(cos of angle)=(adjacent leg length)/(hypotenuse length)
(tan of angle)=(opposite leg length)/(adjacent leg length)

For finding the hypotenuse, tangent is obviously the least useful, as it reveals nothing about the hypotenuse directly. Simply use a calculator to solve for the hypotenuse in the other two equations or consult a sine/cosine chart if you are living in the 70's.

There are, of course, other ways to go about finding the length of the hypotenuse, but these 2 are the most relevant to your grade level.

Answer 3

If a right triangle is 90 degrees, and you know the length of the other two sides just subtract from 180 and you have the answer.

A right triangle has one angle equal to 90 degrees. A right triangle can also be an isosceles triangle--which means that it has two sides that are equal. A right isosceles triangle has a 90-degree angle and two 45-degree angles. This is the only right triangle that is an isosceles triangle.

Another right triangle is the 30-60-90 degree triangle. The ratio of this triangle's longest side to its shortest side is "two to one." That is, the longest side is twice as long as the shortest side.

Answer 4

Little English lesson first: the possessive doesn't have an apostrophe. It's just 'its'.
Okay. On to math.
The formula is the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the two other sides. If you are given the length of the two other sides, square them, add them, and then take the square root of the result. You know, of course, that the hypotenuse is the long slanting line connecting the vertical leg and the horizontal leg.
Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Say you have an ABC triangle......if A is the right angle, than the hypotenuse is BC and its length can be determined from the next equation: AB*AB + AC*AC=BC*BC
considering of course, that you know the two length of AB and AC.
There are also some formulas with sin, cos, tan ctg, that you can use, but I don't remember them right now......I'm sure you wil, however, be able to find them in your math book

Answer 6

a^2 + b^2 = c^2 The two legs of the triangle squared then added together equal the hypotenuse squared. Simply take the square root of the number for the hypotenuse squared and you will have your answer.

Answer 7

Use the pythagorean theorem! Which is:
a^2 + b^2 = c^2 (that's read: a squared plus b squared equals c squared.) It doesn't matter what values go in for "a" and "b" but c always has to be the hypotenuse. So, in your case just solve for c.

Answer 8

a squared x b squared = c squared
a and b are the two shorter legs
square them and add them
find the square ROOT of that and thats the hypotenuse

Answer 9

identification of the hypotenuse=it is the longestside
hypotenuse=[(leg1)^2+(leg2)^2]^1/2

Answer 10

You have to know the length of one side at least. Otherwise it is undefineable.