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What is a Hypotenuse?

Answer – A hypotenuse is the side in any right-angled triangle that lies opposite the right angle itself. 

Explanation:

A right-angled triangle is one in which one of three angles is a right angle or 90°.

The word “hypotenuse” comes from a Greek term that means “stretching under.” It is the side of the right-angled triangle that lies opposite the right angle. It is also the longest side, in length, of that triangle. Thus, the hypotenuse is essentially “stretching under” the right angle of the triangle.

In the image below, C1 and C2 are the base and perpendicular of the right angle, respectively, and h is the hypotenuse.

A diagram of a right-angled triangle.
The hypotenuse is the longest side of a right triangle, opposite the right angle.

The hypotenuse is a significant entity in geometry, and the subject of the Pythagorean theorem, which states that the square of the length of the hypotenuse of any right-angled triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides. 


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