4.

8 Square Roots and the

Pythagorean Theorem
4.8 OBJECTIVES
1. Find the square root of a perfect square
2. Use the Pythagorean theorem to find the length
of a missing side of a right triangle
3. Approximate the square root of a number

Some numbers can be written as the product of two identical factors, for example,

933

Either factor is called a square root of the number. The symbol 1 (called a radical
sign) is used to indicate a square root. Thus 19  3 because 3  3  9.

Example 1
Finding the Square Root
NOTE To use the 1 key Find the square root of 49 and of 16.
with a scientific calculator, first
enter the 49, then press the key. (a) 149  7 Because 7  7  49
With a graphing calculator,
press the key first, then enter (b) 116  4 Because 4  4  16
the 49 and a closing parenthesis.

CHECK YOURSELF 1
Find the square root of each of the following.

(a) 1121 (b) 136

The most frequently used theorem in geometry is undoubtedly the Pythagorean theorem. In
this section you will use that theorem. You will also learn a little about the history of the
theorem. It is a theorem that applies only to right triangles.
The side opposite the right angle of a right triangle is called the hypotenuse.

Example 2
Identifying the Hypotenuse

In the following right triangle, the side labeled c is the hypotenuse.

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c
a

387
388 CHAPTER 4 DECIMALS

CHECK YOURSELF 2
Which side represents the hypotenuse of the given right triangle?

x
z

The numbers 3, 4, and 5 have a special relationship. Together they are called a perfect
triple, which means that when you square all three numbers, the sum of the smaller squares
equals the squared value of the larger number.

Example 3
Identifying Perfect Triples

Show that each of the following is a perfect triple.

(a) 3, 4, and 5

32  9, 42  16, 52  25

and 9  16  25, so we can say that 32  42  52.

(b) 7, 24, and 25

72  49, 242  576, 252  625

and 49  576  625, so we can say that 72  242  252.

CHECK YOURSELF 3
Show that each of the following is a perfect triple.

(a) 5, 12, and 13 (b) 6, 8, and 10

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All the triples that you have seen, and many more, were known by the Babylonians more
than 4000 years ago. Stone tablets that had dozens of perfect triples carved into them have
been found. The basis of the Pythagorean theorem was understood long before the time of
Pythagoras (ca. 540 B.C.). The Babylonians not only understood perfect triples but also
knew how triples related to a right triangle.
 SQUARE ROOTS AND THE PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM SECTION 4.8 389

Rules and Properties: The Pythagorean Theorem (Version 1)

If the lengths of the three sides of a right triangle are all integers, they will
form a perfect triple, with the hypotenuse as the longest side.

There are two other forms in which the Pythagorean theorem is regularly presented. It is
important that you see the connection between the three forms.

Rules and Properties: The Pythagorean Theorem (Version 2)

The square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the
squares of the other two sides.

NOTE This is the version that Rules and Properties: The Pythagorean Theorem (Version 3)
you will refer to in your algebra
classes. Given a right triangle with sides a and b and hypotenuse c, it is always true
that

c2  a2  b2

Example 4
Finding the Length of a Leg of a Right Triangle

Find the missing integer length for each right triangle.

(a)

(b)
13
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12

(a) A perfect triple will be formed if the hypotenuse is 5 units long, creating the triple 3,
4, 5. Note that 32  42  9  16  25  52.
(b) The triple must be 5, 12, 13, which makes the missing length 5 units. Here, 52  122 
25  144  169  132.
390 CHAPTER 4 DECIMALS

CHECK YOURSELF 4
Find the integer length of the unlabeled side for each right triangle.

(a) (b)
7
17

24

15

Example 5
Using the Pythagorean Theorem
NOTE The triangle has sides 6, If the lengths of two sides of a right triangle are 6 and 8, find the length of the hypotenuse.
8, and 10.
c2  a2  b2 The value of the hypotenuse is found
from the Pythagorean theorem with
10
6 a  6 and b  8.

c2  (6)2  (8)2  36  64  100

8

c  1100  10 The length of the hypotenuse is 10

(because 102  100)

CHECK YOURSELF 5
Find the hypotenuse of a right triangle whose sides measure 9 and 12.

In some right triangles, the lengths of the hypotenuse and one side are given and we are
asked to find the length of the missing side.

Example 6
Using the Pythagorean Theorem

Find the missing length.

20
12

b
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a2  b2  c2 Use the Pythagorean theorem with

a  12 and c  20.
(12)2  b2  (20)2

144  b2  400

b2  400  144  256

b  1256  16 The missing side is 16.

 SQUARE ROOTS AND THE PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM SECTION 4.8 391

CHECK YOURSELF 6
Find the missing length for a right triangle with one leg measuring 8 centimeters
(cm) and the hypotenuse measuring 10 cm.

Not every square root is a whole number. In fact, there are only 10 whole-number square
roots for the numbers from 1 to 100. They are the square roots of 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64,
81, and 100. However, we can approximate square roots that are not whole numbers. For
example, we know that the square root of 12 is not a whole number. We also know that its
value must lie somewhere between the square root of 9 (19  3) and the square root of
16 (116  4). That is, 112 is between 3 and 4.

Example 7
Approximating Square Roots
Approximate 129.
The 125  5 and the 136  6, so the 129 must be between 5 and 6.

CHECK YOURSELF 7
119 is between which of the following?

(a) 4 and 5 (b) 5 and 6 (c) 6 and 7

A scientific calculator can be used to evaluate expressions that contain square roots, as
Example 8 illustrates.

Example 8
Evaluating Expressions Using a Calculator

Use a scientific calculator to approximate the value of each expression. Round your answer
to the nearest hundredth.

(a) 1177 Using the calculator, you find 1177  13.3041 . . . To the nearest
hundredth, 1177  13.30.

(b) 4(193) Be certain that you enter the entire expression into the calculator. Then
round the answer. Here, 4(193)  38.5746 . . . To the nearest hundredth,
4(193)  38.57.
© 2001 McGraw-Hill Companies

CHECK YOURSELF 8
Use a scientific calculator to approximate the value of each expression. Round your
answer to the nearest hundredth.

(a) 1357 (b) 7(171)

392 CHAPTER 4 DECIMALS

CHECK YOURSELF ANSWERS

1. (a) 11; (b) 6 2. Side y 3. (a) 52  122  25  144  169, 132  169,
so 52  122  132; (b) 62  82  36  64  100, 102  100 so 62  82  102
4. (a) 8; (b) 25 5. 15 6. 6 cm 7. (a) 4 and 5
8. (a) 18.89; (b) 58.98

© 2001 McGraw-Hill Companies

 Name

4.8 Exercises Section Date

In exercises 1 to 4, find the square root.

1. 164 2. 1121 ANSWERS

1.
3. 1169 4. 1196
2.

3.
Identify the hypotenuse of the given triangles by giving its letter.
4.
5. 6.
5.

c y
b z 6.

7.
a x
8.

9.
For exercises 7 to 12, identify which numbers are perfect triples.
10.
7. 3, 4, 5 8. 4, 5, 6

11.

9. 7, 12, 13 10. 5, 12, 13 12.

13.

11. 8, 15, 17 12. 9, 12, 15 14.

15.
For exercises 13 to 16, find the missing length for each right triangle.
16.
13. 14.

6 5

8 12
© 2001 McGraw-Hill Companies

15. 16.

25
17 7
8

393
ANSWERS

17.
Select the correct approximation for each of the following.
18. 17. Is 123 between (a) 3 and 4, (b) 4 and 5, or (c) 5 and 6?

19.

18. Is 115 between (a) 1 and 2, (b) 2 and 3, or (c) 3 and 4?

20.

21.
19. Is 144 between (a) 6 and 7, (b) 7 and 8, or (c) 8 and 9?
22.

23. 20. Is 131 between (a) 3 and 4, (b) 4 and 5, or (c) 5 and 6?

24.

25.
In exercises 21 to 24, find the perimeter of each triangle shown. (Hint: First find the
missing side.)

21. 22. 9

6 10

b 15

23. 24.

c 3
12 c

16

25. Find the altitude, h, of the isosceles triangle shown.

© 2001 McGraw-Hill Companies

25 25
h

7 7
14

394
 ANSWERS

26.
26. Find the altitude of the isosceles triangle shown.
27.

28.

10 10 29.

12

In exercises 27 and 28, find the length of the diagonal of each rectangle.

27.

10 in.

24 in.

28. 44 ft

33 ft

29. A castle wall, 24 feet high, is surrounded by a moat 7 feet across. Will a 26-foot
ladder, placed at the edge of the moat, be long enough to reach the top of
the wall?
© 2001 McGraw-Hill Companies

395
ANSWERS

30.
30. A baseball diamond is the shape of a square that has sides of length 90 feet. Find the
distance from home plate to second base.

Answers
1. 8 3. 13 5. c 7. Yes 9. No 11. Yes 13. 10
15. 15 17. b 19. a 21. 24 23. 12 25. 24
27. 26 in. 29. Yes

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396
 Using Your Calculator to Find
Square Roots
To find a square root on your scientific calculator, you use the square root key. On some
calculators, you simply enter the number, then press the square root key. With others, you
must use the second function on the x2 (or y x ) key and specify the root you wish to find.

Example 1
Finding a Square Root Using the Calculator

Find the square root of 256.

256 1

Display 16

or

x
2y
256 2nd 2 
yx

Display 16 The “2” is entered for the 2nd (square) root.

CHECK YOURSELF 1
Find the square root of 361.

As we saw in the previous section, not every square root is a whole number. Your calcu-
lator can help give you the approximate square root of any number.

Example 2
Finding an Approximate Square Root

Approximate the square root of 29. Round your answer to the nearest tenth.
Enter

29 1
© 2001 McGraw-Hill Companies

Your calculator display will read something like this:

Display 5.385164807

This is an approximation of the square root. It is rounded to the nearest billionth place.
The calculator cannot display the exact answer because there is no end to the sequence of

397
398 CHAPTER 4 DECIMALS

digits (and also no pattern.) If the square root of a whole number is not another whole
number, then the answer has an infinite number of digits.
To find the approximate square root, we round to the nearest tenth. Our approximation
for the square root of 29 is 5.4.

CHECK YOURSELF 2
Approximate the square root of 19. Round your answer to the nearest tenth.

CHECK YOURSELF ANSWERS

1. 19 2. 4.4

© 2001 McGraw-Hill Companies

 Name

Calculator Exercises Section Date

Use your calculator to find the square root of each of the following.

ANSWERS
1. 64 2. 144
1.

2.

3.
3. 289 4. 1024
4.

5.

6.
5. 1849 6. 784
7.

8.

9.
7. 8649 8. 5329
10.

11.

12.
9. 3844 10. 3364
13.

14.

15.
Use your calculator to approximate the following square roots. Round to the nearest tenth.
16.

11. 123 12. 131

13. 151 14. 142

© 2001 McGraw-Hill Companies

15. 1134 16. 1251

399
 Answers
1. 8 3. 17 5. 43 7. 93 9. 62 11. 4.8 13. 7.1
15. 11.6

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400