When Pythagorus in ancient Greece came up with his theorom on right triangles, he probably had no idea what kind of an impact it would have on the world. Today we use his rule to solve all kinds of problems.
As it is stated, the Pythagorean formula is
a2 +
b2 =
c2, where
c is the length of the hypotenuse(longest side) and
a and
b are the lengths of the shorter sides.
Here are some examples of ways that you can use this in every day life.
1 - Tyson and Carsen are playing baseball. They want to know how far it is to throw the ball from second base to home plate. The distance in between each base is 90 feet. Remember that the base paths form a right angle at the bases. We have two right triangles in the infield. Figure out the distance from second base to home using the Pythagorean formula.
2 - Logan is washing windows at the doctors office and needs a ladder to reach the window on the second floor. If he has to set the ladder out 10 feet from the building (to avoid messing up the flowers) and the window is 20 feet high, how long must the ladder be? Remember that the lawn and the building form a right angle.
See if you can find more examples of the Pythagorean theorem in your life? Find these examples and more at
http://middle-school-curriculum.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_pythagorean_theorem