Workers at the Pythagorean Construction Company are building a new house. They need to make sure that proper right triangles are formed to ensure that a safe house is built. What statement should the builders use to ensure that right triangles are formed?
Answer
A
If the sum of the two shorter sides equals the longest side, then the triangle is a right triangle.
B
If the sum of the squares of the two longer sides equals the square of the shortest side, then the triangle is a right triangle.
C
If the sum of the squares of the two shorter sides equals the square of the longest side, then the triangle is a right triangle.
D
If the difference of the squares of the two shorter sides equals the square of the longest side, then the triangle is a right triangle.
Explanation
The Pythagorean theorem says that a triangle is a right triangle when the squares of its two shorter sides add up to the square of its longest side: a² + b² = c². Therefore, the correct statement is “If the sum of the squares of the two shorter sides equals the square of the longest side.”
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