Pythagorean relation example:

Pythagorean relation example:

• A. a2 + b2 = c2
• B. a2 + c2 = b2
• C. b2 + c2 = a2
• D. c2 = a2 - b2

Answer: (A)

In a right triangle, the square of the longest side (the hypotenuse) equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides. If we call the legs a and b and the hypotenuse c, the relationship is a^2 + b^2 = c^2. This matches the standard labeling where c is the hypotenuse, so the equation with a^2 + b^2 on the left and c^2 on the right is the correct expression. The other forms would imply a different side is the hypotenuse (for example, a^2 + c^2 = b^2 would require b to be the hypotenuse), which contradicts the usual labeling in this context. Since side lengths are positive, the only valid form with c as the hypotenuse is a^2 + b^2 = c^2.

In a right triangle, the square of the longest side (the hypotenuse) equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides. If we call the legs a and b and the hypotenuse c, the relationship is a^2 + b^2 = c^2. This matches the standard labeling where c is the hypotenuse, so the equation with a^2 + b^2 on the left and c^2 on the right is the correct expression. The other forms would imply a different side is the hypotenuse (for example, a^2 + c^2 = b^2 would require b to be the hypotenuse), which contradicts the usual labeling in this context. Since side lengths are positive, the only valid form with c as the hypotenuse is a^2 + b^2 = c^2.