Algebra Readiness Q13 | Pierce College math assessment sample | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Learn how to use the Pythagorean theorem to find the lengths of sides in a right triangle.

Key Insights

• 🔺 Right triangles have a 90-degree angle and can be identified by the presence of a small square.
• 🗯️ The Pythagorean theorem is only applicable to right triangles.
• 🗯️ The longest side of a right triangle is called the hypotenuse.
• 😃 The formula for the Pythagorean theorem is a² + b² = c², where a and b are the lengths of the two shorter sides and c is the length of the hypotenuse.
• 🔌 By plugging in known values and solving the equation, the unknown side length can be found.
• 🏆 Quadratic equations can sometimes be solved by testing answer choices to find the correct value.
• 🫚 In the absence of answer choices, the equation can be solved by isolating the unknown variable and taking the square root.

Transcript

for numbers 13 will keep on right triangle triangle PQR and then we are trying to find out the lengths of the site PQ it's right here this side as we can see we are dealing with sides of a right triangle therefore we have to use the paths that go through and let's take a look right here near we have three triangles and they're red triangles because... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the Pythagorean theorem and how does it apply to right triangles?

The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides.

Q: How do you label the sides of a right triangle when solving for unknown lengths?

To label the sides, the longest side is labeled as "c" (the hypotenuse), and the other two sides are labeled as "a" and "b". The specific labels for "a" and "b" do not matter; what matters is correctly identifying the longest side "c".

Q: What is the special name for the longest side of a right triangle?

The longest side of a right triangle is called the hypotenuse.

Q: How can you determine the unknown side length using the Pythagorean theorem?

By rearranging and solving the equation a² + b² = c², you can find the unknown side length. Plug in the known values for a and b, and then solve for the unknown side.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The video explains how to use the Pythagorean theorem to solve for the length of sides in a right triangle.

• It demonstrates labeling the sides of red triangles and using the formula a^2 + b^2 = c^2.

• By plugging in known values and solving the equation, the video shows how to find the unknown side length.