The Pythagorean theorem is a mathematical formula that helps us find the length of the sides of a right triangle. A right triangle is a special type of triangle that has one angle that measures exactly 90 degrees.
The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the longest side (called the hypotenuse) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides (the legs). In other words, it can be written as:
a^2 + b^2 = c^2,
where a and b are the lengths of the legs, and c is the length of the hypotenuse.
Imagine you have a ladder that is leaning against a wall. The ladder is a right triangle, with the wall as one leg, the floor as another leg, and the ladder as the hypotenuse. You can use the Pythagorean theorem to find out how long the ladder is, if you know how long the wall and the floor are.
The Pythagorean theorem is a very useful and important tool in mathematics, and it has many applications in real-life situations, such as building and construction, navigation, and more.