Right angle

In geometry and trigonometry, a right

angle is an angle of exactly 90°
(degrees),[1] corresponding to a quarter
turn.[2] If a ray is placed so that its
endpoint is on a line and the adjacent
angles are equal, then they are right
angles.[3] The term is a calque of Latin
angulus rectus; here rectus means
"upright", referring to the vertical
perpendicular to a horizontal base line.
A right angle is equal to 90 degrees.

A line segment (AB) drawn so that it forms right

angles with a line (CD).

Closely related and important geometrical

concepts are perpendicular lines, meaning
lines that form right angles at their point of
intersection, and orthogonality, which is
the property of forming right angles,
usually applied to vectors. The presence of
a right angle in a triangle is the defining
factor for right triangles,[4] making the right
angle basic to trigonometry.

Etymology
The meaning of "right" in "right angle"
possibly refers to the latin adjective rectus,
which can be translated into erect, straight,
upright or perpendicular. A Greek
equivalent is orthos, which means straight
or perpendicular (see orthogonality).

In elementary geometry
A rectangle is a quadrilateral with four
right angles. A square has four right
angles, in addition to equal-length sides.

The Pythagorean theorem states how to

determine when a triangle is a right
triangle.

Symbols

Right triangle, with the right angle shown via a small

square.
Another option of diagrammatically indicating a right
angle, using an angle curve and a small dot.

In Unicode, the symbol for a right angle is

U+221F ∟ RIGHT ANGLE
(HTML  ∟  · ∟ ). It
should not be confused with the similarly
shaped symbol U+231E ⌞ BOTTOM LEFT
CORNER (HTML  ⌞  · ⌞,
⌞ ). Related symbols are
U+22BE ⊾ RIGHT ANGLE WITH ARC
(HTML  ⊾  · ⊾ ),
U+299C RIGHT ANGLE VARIANT WITH
SQUARE (HTML  ⦜  ·
⦜ ), and U+299D MEASURED
RIGHT ANGLE WITH DOT
(HTML  ⦝  · ⦝ ).[5]

In diagrams, the fact that an angle is a

right angle is usually expressed by adding
a small right angle that forms a square
with the angle in the diagram, as seen in
the diagram of a right triangle (in British
English, a right-angled triangle) to the
right. The symbol for a measured angle, an
arc, with a dot, is used in some European
countries, including German-speaking
countries and Poland, as an alternative
symbol for a right angle.[6]

Euclid
Right angles are fundamental in Euclid's
Elements. They are defined in Book 1,
definition 10, which also defines
perpendicular lines. Definition 10 does not
use numerical degree measurements but
rather touches at the very heart of what a
right angle is, namely two straight lines
intersecting to form two equal and
adjacent angles.[7] The straight lines which
form right angles are called
perpendicular.[8] Euclid uses right angles in
definitions 11 and 12 to define acute
angles (those smaller than a right angle)
and obtuse angles (those greater than a
right angle).[9] Two angles are called
complementary if their sum is a right
angle.[10]

Book 1 Postulate 4 states that all right

angles are equal, which allows Euclid to
use a right angle as a unit to measure
other angles with. Euclid's commentator
Proclus gave a proof of this postulate
using the previous postulates, but it may
be argued that this proof makes use of
some hidden assumptions. Saccheri gave
a proof as well but using a more explicit
assumption. In Hilbert's axiomatization of
geometry this statement is given as a
theorem, but only after much groundwork.
One may argue that, even if postulate 4
can be proven from the preceding ones, in
the order that Euclid presents his material
it is necessary to include it since without it
postulate 5, which uses the right angle as
a unit of measure, makes no sense.[11]

Conversion to other units

A right angle may be expressed in different
units:

1
4 turn
 90° (degrees)
π τ
2 radians or 4 rad
100 grad (also called grade, gradian, or
gon)
8 points (of a 32-point compass rose)
6 hours (astronomical hour angle)

Rule of 3-4-5
Throughout history, carpenters and
masons have known a quick way to
confirm if an angle is a true "right angle". It
is based on the most widely known
Pythagorean triple (3, 4, 5) and so called
the "rule of 3-4-5". From the angle in
question, running a straight line along one
side exactly 3 units in length, and along
the second side exactly 4 units in length,
will create a hypotenuse (the longer line
opposite the right angle that connects the
two measured endpoints) of exactly 5
units in length. This measurement can be
made quickly and without technical
instruments. The geometric law behind the
measurement is the Pythagorean theorem
("The square of the hypotenuse of a right
triangle is equal to the sum of the squares
of the two adjacent sides").

Thales' theorem
 Construction of the Alternative
perpendicular to the construction if P
half-line h from the outside of the half-
point P (applicable line h and the
not only at the end distance A to P' is
point A, M is freely small (B is freely
selectable), selectable),
animation at the animation at the
end with pause 10 s end with pause 10
s

Thales' theorem states that an angle

inscribed in a semicircle (with a vertex on
the semicircle and its defining rays going
through the endpoints of the semicircle) is
a right angle.

Two application examples in which the

right angle and the Thales' theorem are
included (see animations).

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media

related to Right angles.

Cartesian coordinate system

Orthogonality
Perpendicular
Rectangle
 Types of angles

References
1. "Right Angle" . Math Open Reference.
Retrieved 26 April 2017.
2. Wentworth p. 11
3. Wentworth p. 8
4. Wentworth p. 40
5. Unicode 5.2 Character Code Charts
Mathematical Operators ,
Miscellaneous Mathematical Symbols-
B
 . Müller-Philipp, Susanne; Gorski, Hans-
Joachim (2011). Leitfaden Geometrie
[Handbook Geometry] (in German).
Springer. ISBN 9783834886163.
7. Heath p. 181
. Heath p. 181
9. Heath p. 181
10. Wentworth p. 9
11. Heath pp. 200-201 for the paragraph
Wentworth, G.A. (1895). A Text-Book of
Geometry . Ginn & Co.
Euclid, commentary and trans. by T. L.
Heath Elements Vol. 1 (1908 Cambridge)
Google Books
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