Tutor: Special Right Triangles
Stuck on a radical? Review the essentials below, then send a demo request describing where you got stuck.
1 Quick recap before you ask
Almost every question in this skill is answered by one of these lines.
45-45-90leg : leg : hyp = 1 : 1 : √2. Hypotenuse = leg × √2.
30-60-90short : long : hyp = 1 : √3 : 2.
Thirty is shortThe side opposite 30° is the short leg; opposite 60° is the long leg.
Keep it exactAnswers like 5√2 beat decimals. Type 5√2 or 5sqrt(2).
RationalizeNever leave √ in a denominator: 10/√2 = 5√2.
Going backwardsDivide by the ratio you multiplied by — then rationalize if needed.
2 Ask a tutor
Describe your triangle problem and where you got stuck. A tutor will walk you through it.