Meena makes the argument that a triangle with sides 6 ft., 4 ft., and 5 ft. in length is a right triangle based on the equation she created: 62+42=52%0D%0A6%0D%0A2%0D%0A+%0D%0A4%0D%0A2%0D%0A=%0D%0A5%0D%0A2%0D%0A . Do you agree with Meena? Critique her argument.

Answer 1

Meena's argument is incorrect and her equation is flawed. To determine if a triangle is a right triangle, we need to apply the Pythagorean Theorem, which states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

In this case, the sides of the triangle are 6 ft., 4 ft., and 5 ft. So, we need to check if 62 + 42 = 52 holds true. However, Meena's equation 62 + 42 = 52 is incorrect, as 6 squared equals 36, not 62, and 4 squared equals 16, not 42. Additionally, 52 is not equal to 5 squared, which is 25.

To properly apply the Pythagorean Theorem, we need to calculate 62 + 42 = 36 + 16 = 52. This equation is not true because 52 is not equal to 52. Therefore, Meena's argument that the triangle is a right triangle based on this equation is incorrect.

To determine if the triangle is a right triangle, we need to use the correct equation: 62 + 42 = 52, which means 36 + 16 = 52. Since 52 is equal to 52, this fulfills the Pythagorean Theorem, indicating that the triangle is indeed a right triangle.