Pythagorean Theorem
Find the hypotenuse of a right triangle given the two shorter sides.
Results
What is it?
The Pythagorean Theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides (a squared + b squared = c squared). It is fundamental in construction, navigation, and physics.
How to use
Enter the lengths of the two shorter sides (legs) of a right triangle. The calculator computes the hypotenuse, the longest side opposite the right angle.
Example scenario
Building a deck? If one side is 3 meters and the other is 4 meters, the diagonal brace needs to be exactly 5 meters. The classic 3-4-5 triangle is a carpenter's best friend for checking if corners are square.
Pro tip
The theorem works in reverse too: if you know the hypotenuse and one side, the missing side is sqrt(c squared - a squared). Pythagorean triples like 3-4-5, 5-12-13, and 8-15-17 always yield whole numbers.