Hypotenuse

  • Right Triangle
  • The longest side of a right triangle is called the Hypotenuse
  • Corresponding to the largest angle of the triangle, the Hypotenuse is opposite the right angle
  • Applying the Pythagorean Theorem, the Hypotenuse c is equal to the square root of the sum of the leg lengths squared, or Hypotenuse Equation
Hypotenuse (Wikipedia)
A right-angled triangle and its hypotenuse.

In geometry, a hypotenuse is the longest side of a right-angled triangle, the side opposite the right angle. The length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle can be found using the Pythagorean theorem, which states that the square of the length of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides. For example, if one of the other sides has a length of 3 (when squared, 9) and the other has a length of 4 (when squared, 16), then their squares add up to 25. The length of the hypotenuse is the square root of 25, that is, 5.

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