5-8

5-8 Applying
ApplyingSpecial
SpecialRight
RightTriangles
Triangles

Warm Up
Lesson Presentation
Lesson Quiz

HoltMcDougal
Holt GeometryGeometry
5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles

Warm Up
For Exercises 1 and 2, find the value of x.
Give your answer in simplest radical form.

1. 2.

Simplify each expression.

3. 4.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles

Objectives
Justify and apply properties of
45°-45°-90° triangles.
Justify and apply properties of
30°- 60°- 90° triangles.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles

A diagonal of a square divides it into two congruent

isosceles right triangles. Since the base angles of an
isosceles triangle are congruent, the measure of
each acute angle is 45°. So another name for an
isosceles right triangle is a 45°-45°-90° triangle.

A 45°-45°-90° triangle is one type of special right

triangle. You can use the Pythagorean Theorem to
find a relationship among the side lengths of a 45°-
45°-90° triangle.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Example 1A: Finding Side Lengths in a 45°- 45º- 90º
Triangle

Find the value of x. Give your

answer in simplest radical form.

By the Triangle Sum Theorem, the

measure of the third angle in the
triangle is 45°. So it is a 45°-45°-
90° triangle with a leg length of 8.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Example 1B: Finding Side Lengths in a 45º- 45º- 90º
Triangle

Find the value of x. Give your

answer in simplest radical form.
The triangle is an isosceles right
triangle, which is a 45°-45°-90°
triangle. The length of the hypotenuse
is 5.

Rationalize the denominator.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Check It Out! Example 1a

Find the value of x. Give your answer in

simplest radical form.
By the Triangle Sum Theorem, the
measure of the third angle in the
triangle is 45°. So it is a 45°-45°-
90° triangle with a leg length of

x = 20 Simplify.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Check It Out! Example 1b

Find the value of x. Give your answer in

simplest radical form.
The triangle is an isosceles right
triangle, which is a 45°-45°-90°
triangle. The length of the
hypotenuse is 16.

Rationalize the denominator.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Example 2: Craft Application
Jana is cutting a square of material for a
tablecloth. The table’s diagonal is 36 inches.
She wants the diagonal of the tablecloth to be
an extra 10 inches so it will hang over the
edges of the table. What size square should
Jana cut to make the tablecloth? Round to the
nearest inch.
Jana needs a 45°-45°-90° triangle with a hypotenuse
of 36 + 10 = 46 inches.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Check It Out! Example 2

What if...? Tessa’s other dog is wearing a

square bandana with a side length of 42 cm.
What would you expect the circumference of
the other dog’s neck to be? Round to the
nearest centimeter.
Tessa needs a 45°-45°-90° triangle with a
hypotenuse of 42 cm.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles

A 30°-60°-90° triangle is another special right

triangle. You can use an equilateral triangle to find
a relationship between its side lengths.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Example 3A: Finding Side Lengths in a 30º-60º-90º
Triangle

Find the values of x and y. Give

your answers in simplest
radical form.

22 = 2x Hypotenuse = 2(shorter leg)

11 = x Divide both sides by 2.

Substitute 11 for x.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Example 3B: Finding Side Lengths in a 30º-60º-90º
Triangle

Find the values of x and y. Give your

answers in simplest radical form.

Rationalize the denominator.

y = 2x Hypotenuse = 2(shorter leg).

Simplify.
Holt McDougal Geometry
5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Check It Out! Example 3a

Find the values of x and y.

Give your answers in simplest
radical form.

Hypotenuse = 2(shorter leg)

Divide both sides by 2.

y = 27 Substitute for x.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Check It Out! Example 3b

Find the values of x and y.

Give your answers in simplest
radical form.

y = 2(5)

y = 10 Simplify.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Check It Out! Example 3c

Find the values of x and y.

Give your answers in
simplest radical form.

24 = 2x Hypotenuse = 2(shorter leg)

12 = x Divide both sides by 2.

Substitute 12 for x.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Check It Out! Example 3d

Find the values of x and y.

Give your answers in
simplest radical form.

Rationalize the denominator.

x = 2y Hypotenuse = 2(shorter leg)

Simplify.
Holt McDougal Geometry
5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Example 4: Using the 30º-60º-90º Triangle Theorem

An ornamental pin is in the shape of

an equilateral triangle. The length of
each side is 6 centimeters. Josh will
attach the fastener to the back along
AB. Will the fastener fit if it is 4
centimeters long?

Step 1 The equilateral triangle is divided into two

30°-60°-90° triangles.

The height of the triangle is the length of the

longer leg.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Example 4 Continued

Step 2 Find the length x of the shorter leg.

6 = 2x Hypotenuse = 2(shorter leg)
3=x Divide both sides by 2.
Step 3 Find the length h of the longer leg.

The pin is approximately 5.2 centimeters high.

So the fastener will fit.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Check It Out! Example 4

What if…? A manufacturer wants to

make a larger clock with a height of
30 centimeters. What is the length
of each side of the frame? Round to
the nearest tenth.

Step 1 The equilateral triangle is divided into two

30º-60º-90º triangles.

The height of the triangle is the length of the

longer leg.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Check It Out! Example 4 Continued

Step 2 Find the length x of the shorter leg.

Rationalize the denominator.

Step 3 Find the length y of the longer leg.
y = 2x Hypotenuse = 2(shorter leg)

Simplify.
Each side is approximately 34.6 cm.
Holt McDougal Geometry
5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Lesson Quiz: Part I
Find the values of the variables. Give your
answers in simplest radical form.

1. 2.

x = 10; y = 20
3. 4.

Holt McDougal Geometry

5-8 Applying Special Right Triangles
Lesson Quiz: Part II

Find the perimeter and area of each figure.

Give your answers in simplest radical form.

5. a square with diagonal length 20 cm

6. an equilateral triangle with height 24 in.

Holt McDougal Geometry