Question

Determine whether a triangle with sides .20 inches 48 inches and 52 inches long is a right triangle. Justify your answer.

Answer 1

To find out whether or not a triangle is a right triangle, you have to figure out whether or not it satisfies the Pythagorean Theorem.

The Pythagorean Theorem says that the sum of the squares of the side lengths, represented by variables a and b, must equal the square of the hypotenuse, represented by c. 

a² + b² = c²

20² + 48² = 52²

400 + 2304 = 2704

2704 = 2704

When we plug in the side lengths and simplify the Theorem, it results in a true statement, so we can conclude that yes, the triangle is a right triangle.