In a right triangle, the two sides that form the right angle are called the legs, while the side opposite the right angle is known as the hypotenuse.
The legs can be of different lengths and are often referred to as the ‘base’ and the ‘height’ when calculating area or other properties. The hypotenuse, on the other hand, is the longest side of the triangle and is crucial in various calculations, particularly in the Pythagorean theorem. This theorem states that the square of the length of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the two legs. In formula form, if a and b are the lengths of the legs, and c is the hypotenuse, then:
c² = a² + b²
This relationship is fundamental in trigonometry and geometry, allowing us to find one side of the triangle if the other two sides are known.