How do you find the length of a side of a right angled triangle when given the other two side lengths?

First, you have to work out whether the side you need to find is the hypotenuse or not. The hypotenuse is the longest side of the triangle, opposite the right angle. For this question, you use Pythagoras' theorem:a2 + b2 = c2 (Where c is the hypotenuse and a and b are the other sides of the triangle). For example, if a triangle has its two sides adjacent to the right angle as 3cm and 4cm, the square of the length of the third side is 32 + 42 = 9 + 16 = 25Therefore, the length of the final side is the square root of 25, 5cm. If you are given the length of the hypotenuse and one other side as 10cm and 6cm respectively, you can find the third side by rearranging the equation: c2 - a2 = b210- 62 = 100 - 36 = 64 = 82b = 8.

Answered by Laura H. Maths tutor

7596 Views

See similar Maths GCSE tutors

Related Maths GCSE answers

All answers ▸

What is the largest possible length of a pole you could fit in a room?


Lewis wins £360 in a prize draw. He gives 15% to charity and puts 3/8 into his savings. The rest he uses to buy a bike. How much of the money has Lewis got left for this bike? Note: do not use a calculator


Solve: a) 5t + 17 = 2. b) x^3 - 25 = 103 - x^3.


Solve 9x-4=7(x+2)


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences