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| a2 + b2 = c2 |
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| a2 + b2 = c2 |
Pythagoras, the man for whom this theorem was names, was born about 580
B.C. and died around 500 B.C. He lived on the island of Samos in the
Aegean Sea, Egypt, Babylon, and southern Italy. Pythagoras was a teacher,
a philosopher, and a mathematician.
Pythagoras founded a school where he and his followers were responsible
for developments in mathematics, astronomy, and music.
This theorem was probably known to the Babylonians a thousand years before Pythagoras, but he (or one of his disciples) was probably the first to prove it.
The Pythagorean Theorem describes a fundamental truth about the way some pieces of the world fit together. This theorem one of the most important results in elementary mathematics.
One important use of this theorem is to determine the length of one side of a triange if you know the lengths of the other two sides. See an example below.
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To the right you can see an example of how this theorem could be used.
The pilot of an airplane can determine the altitude of the
airplane using the plane's altimeter. The pilot can determine the
distance to the airport using radar. As in illustrated in the diagram to
the right, these numbers represent two legs of a right triangle. Using
the Pythagorean Theorem, the pilot can determine the total distance
between the airplane and the airport.
Drag the corners of the triangle (other than the one at the airport) to verify this theorem to yourself. |