In a right-angled triangle what is the side opposite the right angle called?

In geometry, a hypotenuse is the longest side of a right-angled triangle, the side opposite of the right angle. The length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle can be found using the Pythagorean theorem, which states that the square of the length of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides. For example, if one of the other sides has a length of 3 (when squared, 9) and the other has a length of 4 (when squared, 16), then their squares add up to 25. The length of the hypotenuse is the square root of 25, that is, 5.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

Test your knowledge

What are your thoughts on this subject?

45 Comments

Don Viera

It's been too long since I had plane geometry in HS, but I remember the word hypoteneuse...

grahamcarla

Questions like these are downers.

Chrissie

Teinein is Greek for to stretch, hypo is under. Put the triangle on a surface so it won't fall over. The hypotenuse stretches under the right angle.

David Hett

Surprised at the number of people who didn't answer this correctly.

Franklin Vee

Geometry was my favorite subject in HS - not that I remember much.

Donna Smith

Missed it..never liked Math anyway

Micheline Ratcliffe

absolutely … for whatever strange reason I remember this theorem developed by Pythagoras, but nobody ever mentions the guy who actually went out in a field and proved it. It's called Euclid's Proof.