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The Perpendicular Height Theorem:: H N M H

The document discusses several theorems regarding right triangles, including: 1) The perpendicular height theorem which states that in a right triangle, the height drawn from the hypotenuse is equal to the geometric mean of the two parts it divides the hypotenuse into. 2) The theorem of the sides adjacent to the right angle which states that in a right triangle, each short side is equal to the geometric mean of its projection onto the hypotenuse and the hypotenuse itself. 3) Pythagoras' theorem which states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

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Tadeu Felix
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31 views3 pages

The Perpendicular Height Theorem:: H N M H

The document discusses several theorems regarding right triangles, including: 1) The perpendicular height theorem which states that in a right triangle, the height drawn from the hypotenuse is equal to the geometric mean of the two parts it divides the hypotenuse into. 2) The theorem of the sides adjacent to the right angle which states that in a right triangle, each short side is equal to the geometric mean of its projection onto the hypotenuse and the hypotenuse itself. 3) Pythagoras' theorem which states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

Uploaded by

Tadeu Felix
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Theorems in right-angled triangles

Let a, b and c be the hypothenuse and the short-sides of a right-angled triangle;


let m be the vertical projection of b onto the hypothenuse and n the vertical
projection of c onto the hypothenuse; leth h be the height drawn from the
hypothenuse. Thus, the intersection of h and the hypothenuse a divides a in two
parts that are m and n.
The perpendicular height theorem
!n a right-angled triangle the height drawn from the hypotenuse is the geometric mean
of the two parts that it divides the hypotenuse into n m h = . This can be written
n m h =
"
#rove height h divides the triangle into two triangles
they are both right-angled triangles and the sides of the two acute angles are
perpendicular to each other
so their angles are e$ual
so the triangles are similar
so their ratios of the short sides are e$ual
h
n
m
h
=
The theorem of the sides adjacent to the right angle
!n a right-angled triangle each of the short-sides is the geometric mean of its projection
onto the hypotenuse and the hypotenuse itself a m b = and a n c = . These can be
written a m b =
"
and a n c =
"
#rove height h splits the triangle into two triangles
they are both right-angled triangles and they share an acute angle with the big
triangle
so their angles are e$ual to the big triangle ones
so the small triangles are similar to the big triangle
so their ratios of the hypothenuse and one short side are e$ual
b
a
m
b
=
and
c
a
n
c
=
The Pythagoras theorem
!n a right angled triangle the s$uare of the hypotenuse is e$ual to the sum of the s$uares
of the other two sides. That can be written
" " "
c b a + =
#rove applying the previous theorem ( )
" " "
a a a a n m a n a m c b = = + = + = +
%ote the converse is true &a =b + c the triangle has a right angle between the sides
of lengths b and c'
(enerali)ed #ytharoras Theorem
!n obtuse-angled triangles the s$uare on the side opposite the obtuse angle is e$ual to
the the sum of the s$uares on the sides containing the obtuse angle plus twice the
product of the base by the projection of the other side onto the base*s prolongation
bp b a c "
" " "
+ + =
#rove ( ) ( ) ( ) bp b a bp p b p a p b h c " "
" " " " " " " " "
+ + = + + + = + + =
!n acute-angled triangles the s$uare on the side opposite the acute angle is is e$ual to the
the sum of the s$uares on the sides containing the obtuse angle minus twice the product
of the base by the segment of base out of the projection of the other side onto the base
bp b a c "
" " "
+ =
#rove ( ) ( ) ( ) bp b a bp p b p a p b h c " "
" " " " " " " " "
+ = + + = + =
+eron*s formula
+eron,s formula for the area of a triangle with sides of length a, b, c is
where
-.ercises
/0' 1hat is the area of an isosceles triangle with e$ual sides 2 cm long and different
side 3 cm long4
/5' 6ind out the perpendicular height drawn from the hypothenuse &h' and the
projections of the
short sides onto the hypothenuse &m, n'.
7ata the hypothenuse a is 2 m long; the short-sides b and c are 0 and 5 m
long respectively.
/2' 6ind out the perpendicular height drawn from the hypothenuse &h', the short-
side &c',
its projection onto the hypothenuse &n' and the hypothenuse &a'.
7ata the short-side b is /3.2 cm long and its projection onto the hypothenuse
m is 8.2 cm long.
/3' 6ind out the perpendicular height drawn from the hypothenuse &h', the short-
side &b',
its projection onto the hypothenuse &m' and the hypothenuse &a'.
7ata the short-side c is 89 cm and its projection onto the hypothenuse n is
29 cm long.
/8' 6ind out the short-side &c', the height drawn from the hypothenuse &h', the
hypothenuse &a'
and the projections of the short-sides onto it &m, n'.
7ata the short-side b is /" cm long and meets the hypothenuse at an angle of
39:.

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