The Pythagorean Theorem relates the two legs of a right triangle to its hypotenuse. Which equation states this relationship?
Aa^2+b^2=2c
Ba^2-b^2=c^2
C2a^2+2b^2=c
Da^2+b^2=c^2
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. a^2+b^2=c^2
1. The Pythagorean Theorem states that the sum of the squares of the two legs equals the square of the hypotenuse.
2. Writing the legs as a and b and the hypotenuse as c, this becomes a squared plus b squared equals c squared.
3. Simply adding the side lengths, or subtracting the squares, does not match the relationship the theorem describes.
_Source: OpenStax Prealgebra (CC BY 4.0), Ch 9 "Math Models and Geometry", section 9.3 Use Properties of Angles, Triangles, and the Pythagorean Theorem_
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