If a triangle has sides 5 cm, 12 cm, and 13 cm, is it a right triangle?

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Multiple Choice

If a triangle has sides 5 cm, 12 cm, and 13 cm, is it a right triangle?

To tell if a triangle is right, use the Pythagorean theorem: the squares of the two shorter sides should add up to the square of the longest side. Here, the longest side is 13 cm. Compute 5^2 + 12^2 = 25 + 144 = 169, which equals 13^2. Since the equality holds, the triangle satisfies the Pythagorean condition and is a right triangle. This 5-12-13 combination is a classic Pythagorean triple, so the result is consistent and the given side lengths are enough to conclude.

To tell if a triangle is right, use the Pythagorean theorem: the squares of the two shorter sides should add up to the square of the longest side. Here, the longest side is 13 cm. Compute 5^2 + 12^2 = 25 + 144 = 169, which equals 13^2. Since the equality holds, the triangle satisfies the Pythagorean condition and is a right triangle. This 5-12-13 combination is a classic Pythagorean triple, so the result is consistent and the given side lengths are enough to conclude.

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