§ Term · geometry
Hypotenuse
Also known as: long side
The longest side of a right triangle, opposite the right angle.
Pythagoras' theorem relates the hypotenuse c to the two legs a and b: a² + b² = c². It always sits opposite the 90° corner.
Example
If a = 3 and b = 4, then c = √(9 + 16) = 5.
Related terms
See also