General Education Drills Practice Test

Which equation represents the Pythagorean theorem for a right triangle with legs a and b and hypotenuse c?

a^2 + c^2 = b^2 b^2 + c^2 = a^2 a^2 + b^2 = c^2 c^2 = a^2 + b^2 - 2ab

Correct Answer:

a^2 + b^2 = c^2

Explanation:

In a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the two legs. Since the legs are a and b and the hypotenuse is c, the relationship is c^2 = a^2 + b^2. This is the exact equation that matches the Pythagorean theorem for these side lengths. The other forms would imply a different hypotenuse or come from a different identity, and c^2 = a^2 + b^2 is the straightforward expression of the right-triangle relationship.

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