Can you solve a question that gives you two side lengths of a right angled triangle without Pythagorean Theorem?

Question

3107 views around the world

You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License

Answer 1 · 2018-07-10T16:04:28

Yes you may. Consider the following example.

![https://www.katesmathlessons.com/http://pythagorean-theorem.html](https://useruploads.socratic.org/yg3jY78HSkqqTSkp7eYA_Unknown.png)

Since this is a right triangle, we may use primary trig ratios.

Call the angle between side $x$ $x$ and $20$ $20$ angle B. Then

$sinB = 14/20 -> B ~~44.427˚$

We can also say that

$tanB = 14/x$

So divide 14 by the tangent of B.

$x = 14.28$

This is the same answer you would get via the pythagorean theorem.

$x = sqrt(20^2 - 14^2) =14.28$

Hopefully this helps!