Question

for any right triangle, the side lengths of the triangle can be put in the equation a² + b² = c² where a, b, and c are the side lengths. a triangle with the side lengths 3 inches, 4 inches, and 5 inches is a right triangle. which way(s) can you substitute the values into the equation to make it true? which variable has to match the longest side length? why?

Explanation:

Answer:

We can substitute \(a = 3\), \(b = 4\), \(c = 5\) or \(a = 4\), \(b = 3\), \(c = 5\). The variable \(c\) has to match the longest side length because in the Pythagorean theorem \(a^{2}+b^{2}=c^{2}\), \(c\) represents the length of the hypotenuse (the longest side of a right - triangle).