The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse (side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.
The formula is:
c² = a² + b²
Here, suppose we want to find A, which could be one side of the triangle, given two other sides:
- If 10m and 5m are the legs (the two sides forming the right angle), then A is the hypotenuse. Use the formula:
A² = 10² + 5² = 100 + 25 = 125
Then take the square root:
A = √125 = √(25 × 5) = 5√5 ≈ 11.18 m
- Alternatively, if 10m is the hypotenuse and 5m is one leg, then find the other leg A:
10² = 5² + A²
100 = 25 + A²
A² = 100 - 25 = 75
A = √75 = √(25 × 3) = 5√3 ≈ 8.66 m
Summary:
- If 10m and 5m are legs, hypotenuse A ≈ 11.18 m
- If 10m is hypotenuse and 5m one leg, other leg A ≈ 8.66 m
Make sure you know which side is the hypotenuse for proper calculation!