right triangle

Thân thiện

A student draws a right triangle on the chalkboard.

Definition

Noun: A right triangle is a triangle that contains one interior angle measuring exactly 90 degrees (a right angle). The side opposite this right angle is called the hypotenuse, and it is the longest side of the triangle.

Usage

The term is used in geometry to classify and describe a specific type of triangle based on its angles. * In a right triangle, the Pythagorean theorem applies: the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides. * To solve for the missing side, you must first confirm the shape is a right triangle.

Examples

• The most common example of a right triangle is a 3-4-5 triangle.
• Carpenters use the properties of a right triangle to ensure corners are square.
• If one angle of a triangle is 90 degrees, then it is, by definition, a right triangle.

Advanced Usage

• "To be a right triangle": Describes the state of having a right angle.
  • For the Pythagorean theorem to be applicable, the figure must be a right triangle.
• The concept is foundational in trigonometry, where the ratios of the sides of a right triangle define the sine, cosine, and tangent functions.

Variants and Related Words

• Right-angled triangle (noun): A synonym, more commonly used in British English.
• Hypotenuse (noun): The longest side of a right triangle, opposite the right angle.
• Legs (noun): The two sides of a right triangle that form the right angle.

Synonyms

• Right-angled triangle

Antonyms

• Oblique triangle (a triangle with no right angle).

Học thuật

Noun

1. a triangle with one right angle

Từ đồng nghĩa

• right-angled triangle