Your classmate is unsure about how to use side lengths to determine the type of triangle. How would you explain this to your classmate?

Answer:

To determine the type of triangle, first identify the longest side as c and the other two sides as a and b. Then calculate a² + b² and compare it to c². If c² = a² + b², the triangle is a right triangle. If c² a² + b², the triangle is obtuse.