You can find the hypotenuse in a right triangle as the side located directly opposite the right angle. It is also the longest side of the triangle.
Locating the Hypotenuse
In any right-angle triangle, one angle measures exactly 90 degrees. This is known as the right angle. The sides that form this angle are called the legs (or cathetus).
According to the definition provided, the hypotenuse is:
- The longest side of a right-angle triangle.
- The side which is opposite to the right angle.
Imagine standing at the vertex of the right angle and looking across the triangle; the side you are looking at is the hypotenuse.
Key Characteristics of the Hypotenuse
- It is always the side that does not touch the right angle vertex.
- Its length is always greater than the length of either leg.
- In the context of the Pythagorean theorem ($a^2 + b^2 = c^2$), the hypotenuse is represented by c, where a and b are the lengths of the legs.
Finding the hypotenuse is essential for understanding trigonometric functions (like sine, cosine, and tangent) and applying fundamental geometric principles such as the Pythagorean theorem.
