Key learning points

1. The hypotenuse is the side opposite the right angle.
2. It does not matter which of the shorter sides is identified as a or b.

Keywords

• Right-angled triangle - A right-angled triangle has exactly one 90° interior angle.

• Hypotenuse - A hypotenuse is the side of the right-angle triangle which is opposite the right-angle.

• Pythagoras’ theorem - Pythagoras’ theorem shows that the sum of the squares of the two shorter sides of a right-angled triangle is equal to the square of its longest side (the hypotenuse).

Common misconception