The Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right-angled 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, has many
practical applications. Here's a short example of how you can use it in
real life:
Let's say you're planning to buy a new television for your living room,
and you want to determine the optimal screen size based on the
viewing distance. The Pythagorean theorem can help you calculate the
diagonal screen size that would provide an immersive viewing
experience.
1. Measure the distance from your seating position to the television
wall. Let's say it's 10 feet (3.05 meters).
2. Assume you prefer a 16:9 aspect ratio for the television screen.
Using the Pythagorean theorem, you can calculate the ideal
diagonal screen size. Let's call the diagonal size 'd' and the vertical
height 'h':
3. d^2 = h^2 + w^2 (where 'w' is the width)
4. The aspect ratio of 16:9 means that the width is 16 units for every
9 units of height. So, we can rewrite the equation as:
5. d^2 = h^2 + (16/9 * h)^2
6. Simplify the equation:
7. d^2 = h^2 + (256/81 * h^2) d^2 = (337h^2) / 81
8. To solve for 'd', we need to find the value of 'h'. The value of 'h'
represents the vertical height of the screen. For a comfortable
viewing experience, it's generally recommended that the vertical
height should be around 1/3 to 1/2 of the viewing distance.
9. Let's assume a vertical height of 1/3 the viewing distance, which is
approximately 3.33 feet (1.01 meters).
10. Plug in the value of 'h' into the equation:
11. d^2 = (337 * 3.33^2) / 81 d^2 ≈ 36.51
12. Take the square root of both sides to find the diagonal screen size:
13. d ≈ √36.51 d ≈ 6.04 feet (1.84 meters)
Therefore, based on the Pythagorean theorem, a television with a
diagonal screen size of approximately 6.04 feet (1.84 meters) would
provide an immersive viewing experience when you are seated 10 feet
(3.05 meters) away.
Remember, this is just a simplified example, and other factors such as
personal preference, room size, and viewing angle may also influence
your decision when selecting a television.