Preparing for Pythagoras

 

For a right triangle, what relationship among the three sides of the triangle can you determine?

Directions

  1. Using what you know about the area of a parallelogram, explain why the red and yellow areas remain the same as you drag them first up and then down.

    2.  
  2. What does this say about the area of the 3 squares drawn on the triangle?
     
  3. Write your conclusion as an equation.
     
  4. What does your equation tell you about the relationship among the three sides of a right triangle?
     
    You use letters for the lengths of the sides to express your relationship in equation form.

 
© 2006 Connected Mathematics Project, Michigan State University

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