a b c

2 2

a
b

Investigation
The puzzle in this investigation is intended to help you discover the Pythagorean Theorem. It uses a dissection, which means you cut apart one or more geometric figures and make the figures fit into another figure

Materials
Scissors A protractor A straightedge i.e. ruler paper

Steps
1. Construct a scalene right triangle in the middle of your paper. Label the hypotenuse c and the legs a and b. 2. Construct a square on each side of the triangle 3. To locate the center of the square on the longer leg, draw its diagonals. Label the center O

4. Through point O, construct line j perpendicular to the hypotenuse and line k perpendicular to line j. Line k is parallel to the hypotenuse. Lines j and k divide the square on the longer leg into four (4) parts. 5. Cut out the square on the shorter leg and the four parts of the square on the longer leg. Arrange them to exactly cover the square on the hypotenuse

6. What did you discover?

The Pythagorean Theorem

In a right triangle, the sum of the squares of the lengths of the legs equals the square of the length of the hypotenuse. If a and b are the lengths of the legs and c is the length of the hypotenuse, then:
a + b = c

About 2,500 years ago, a Greek mathematician named Pythagoras discovered a special

relationship between the sides of right triangles.

Pythagoras
Lived in southern Italy during the sixth century B.C. Considered the first true mathematician Used mathematics as a means to understand the natural world First to teach that the earth was a sphere that revolves around the sun

The Right Triangle

hypotenuse
leg

90o
leg Right angle

The two sides which come together in a right angle are called

The lengths of the legs are usually called a and b.

The side across from the right angle is called the

And the length of the hypotenuse is usually labeled c.

c

The Right Triangle

Pythagoras developed a formula for finding the length of the sides of any right triangle. We refer to it as the Pythagorean Theorem
Leg a or b Hypotenuse c

Leg a or b

The Pythagorean Theorem

The Pythagorean Theorem says, given the right triangle with legs a and b and hypotenuse c, then

a2 + b2 = c2

Example
Suppose you drive directly west for 4 miles, Then turn south and drive for 3 miles. How far are you from where you started?

4 3 ?

Using The Pythagorean Theorem,

4
2

+3

=c

4 3 c

Find the length of a diagonal of the rectangle:

15"

8"

Work
Work on handouts

Ladder Problem
A ladder leans against a second-story window of a house. If the ladder is 25 meters long, and the base of the ladder is 7 meters from the house, how high is the window?

Ladder Problem
Solution

First draw a diagram that shows the sides of the right triangle.
Label the sides:
Ladder is 25 m Distance from house is 7 m

Use a2 + b2 = c2 to solve for the missing side.

Distance from house: 7 meters

Ladder Problem
Solution

72 + b2 = 252 49 + b2 = 625 b2 = 576 b = 24 m

How did you do?

A=7m

Summary
Find the legs and hypotenuse. Square the legs (this is a and b) Add them together Square root them This is the length of the hypotenuse (this is c)

Proof

Class work and Homework

Math 3000:
Page 5 # 2 a) to c), #3, #4

In closing
The Pythagorean Theorem is a claim about areas of squares built on the sides of a right triangle: The area of the square on the hypotenuse is the sum of the areas of the squares on the legs. Its primary applications are in finding the length of one side of a right triangle in which the lengths of the other two are known. The theorem can be proven by dissection