Question

Mckenzie and Cara both tried to find the missing side of the right triangle.


Mckenzie's Work Cara's Work
a2 + b2 = c2 a2 + b2 = c2
52 + 132 = c2 52 + b2 = 132
25 + 169 = c2 25 + b2 = 169
194 = c2 b2 = 144

13.93 ≈ c b ≈ 12
Is either of them correct? Explain your reasoning.

Answer 1

Well what do you think?
*hint what does the pythagorean theorem look like?

Answer 2

its like a somewhat triangle?

Answer 3

that has a b c on each side

Answer 4

right so it has a, b, c values
but what do those values mean in the pythagorean theorem? What's the equation for the pythagorean theorem?

Answer 5

a^2+b^2+c^2?

Answer 6

that's the formula for the pythagorean theorem where legs of the triangle are identified as (a and b) and c is the hypotenuse (or the longest length of the triangle)

and remember that pythagorean theorems can only be used for right triangles (triangles that have a 90 degree angle)