1. Special Right Triangles
One of the good things about math is that you can recreate it yourself, if you can remember the basics.
So let’s pretend you suddenly have a Special Right Triangles test, but only vaguely remember anything about them.

2. Special Right Triangles
YIKES!
Don’t Panic.

3. Special Right Triangles
Looking carefully, I see there are only two kinds of right triangles here….

4. Special Right Triangles
There is the ….
… and the

5. Special Right Triangles
Let’s deal with this one first... 1 1
And instead of dealing with x, let’s make it easier and have the length of the legs be 1.

6. Special Right Triangles
Ok… so, it’s a right triangle… and the first thing I think of when I see a right triangle is….. 1 1
THE PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM!

7. Special Right Triangles
c = sqr root 2
…and if I want the hypotenuse, all I have to do is solve = c2. 1 1

8. Special Right Triangles
sqr root 2
• r
…and every triangle that has the same angles as this one will be similar to it…
1 • r 1
1 • r 1
…which means that they will all be dilations of this one… with some zoom factor/ratio that I can call r.

9. Special Right Triangles
sqr root 2
• r
OK… Now I’m ready… bring on the problems.
1 • r 1
1 • r 1

10. Special Right Triangles
sqr root 2
• r
This one is
The length of one leg is 18… which means 18 = 1 • r.
1 • r 1
1 • r 1
So it’s easy enough to figure out that 18 = r.
And since the hypotenuse is r • sqr root 2…

11. Special Right Triangles
sqr root 2
• r
x = 18 • sqr root 2
1 • r 1
1 • r 1

12. Special Right Triangles
sqr root 2
• r
NEXT!
This one is also
1 • r 1
1 • r 1
In fact, the only difference is that r = 3 • sqr root 2
And since the hypotenuse is r • sqr root 2…

13. Special Right Triangles
sqr root 2
• r
1 • r 1
1 • r 1
x = (3 • sqr root 2) • sqr root 2
x = 3 • (sqr root 2 • sqr root 2)
x = 3 • 2
x = 6

14. Special Right Triangles
sqr root 2
• r
NEXT!
This one is also
1 • r 1
1 • r 1
But we’re given the hypotenuse, instead of a leg!
We know the hypotenuse is r • sqr root 2…

15. Special Right Triangles
sqr root 2
• r
1 • r 1
1 • r 1
18 = r • sqr root 2
18 • sqr root 2 = r • sqr root 2 • sqr root 2
18 • sqr root 2 = r • 2
9 • sqr root 2 = r … and so does x

16. Special Right Triangles
600
600
600
Let’s take on the now.
This one starts off as an equilateral triangle… with all sides equal… and all angles equal to 60 degrees.
Then, we cut it in half.

17. Special Right Triangles
300
300 2 2
600
600 1 1
So now, the two angles at the top are 30 degrees each.
And if the original sides of the equilateral triangle had a length of two, the bottom is cut in half, too!

18. Special Right Triangles
300 2
600 1
Now, let’s just look at the half we care about… the triangle.
Notice that the hypotenuse is twice as long as the side opposite the 300 angle.
That’s always going to be true!

19. Special Right Triangles
300 2
h2 = 3 h
h = sqr root 3
600 1
What about the height?
This is a job for…..
THE PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM!
a2 + b2 = c2

20. Special Right Triangles
300 2
• r
r •
sqr root 3
600 1
• r
Because every triangle will be similar to this one…
The sides will always be proportional to these sides!
So we are all set to get started.

21. Special Right Triangles
300
300 2
• r
r •
sqr root 3
600 1
• r
The missing angle is 300.
We are given the length of the side opposite that angle, so r = 8.
The hypotenuse, y, is equal to 2r… or 16.
The side across from the 600 angle has to be r • sqr root 3…
so x = 8 • sqr root 3

22. Special Right Triangles
300 2
• r
r •
sqr root 3
600 1
• r
Let’s do another.

23. Special Right Triangles
300 2
• r
r •
sqr root 3
600 1
• r
The hypotenuse, which has to be 2 • r, is equal to 11.
That means r, the side opposite the 300 angle, has to be 5.5….
and so x = 5.5.
The side across from the 600 angle has to be r • sqr root 3…
so y = 5.5 • sqr root 3

24. Special Right Triangles
300 2
• r
r •
sqr root 3
600 1
• r
Bring on the next one!

25. Special Right Triangles
300 2
• r
r •
sqr root 3
300
600
600 1
• r
Since this is an isoceles triangle, the other base angle is also 600.
And the half-angle on the right is 300.
And we can focus on just the part we care about!

26. Special Right Triangles
300 2
• r
r •
sqr root 3
300
600
600 1
• r
The hypotenuse, which has to be 2 • r, is equal to 20.
That means r, the side opposite the 300 angle, has to be 10….
and so y = 10.
The side across from the 600 angle has to be r • sqr root 3…
so x = 10 • sqr root 3

27. Special Right Triangles
300 2
• r
r •
sqr root 3
600 1
• r
And, finally….

28. Special Right Triangles
300 2
• r
r •
sqr root 3
600 1
• r
This time, we are given the length of the side opposite the 600 angle, which has to be r • sqr root 3.
If 12 = r • sqr root 3…
12 • sqr root 3 = (r • sqr root 3) • sqr root 3
12 • sqr root 3 = r • (sqr root 3 • sqr root 3)
12 • sqr root 3 = r • 3
4 • sqr root 3 = r

29. Special Right Triangles
300 2
• r
r •
sqr root 3
600 1
• r
Since r = 4 • sqr root 3…
and that is the side opposite the 300 angle…
x = 4 • sqr root 3

30. Special Right Triangles
300 2
• r
r •
sqr root 3
600 1
• r
And, again, since r = 4 • sqr root 3…
and the hypotenuse (y) has to be twice as long…
y = 8 • sqr root 3

31. Special Right Triangles
sqr root 2
300 2
• r
r •
sqr root 3
1 • r
1 • r
600 1
• r
So, if you ever have to answer questions about Special Right Triangles,
now you know that you can create the “formulas” from scratch,
just by using the Pythagorean Theorem.