Pythagorean Theorem: Practical use #1

Long ago in Ancient Greece, an influential philosopher and mathematician named Pythagoras made an important discovery that would affect our perception of the world.

This discovery, known as the Pythagorean Theorem states that: The sum of the squares of two of a right triangle is equal to the square of the hypotenuse of that same right triangle. Or in equation form:

a2 + b2 = c2

By using this equation we can find the length of any side of a right triangle provided we have the lengths of the other two sides. For example:

Likewise, this same theorem can be used to find unknown lengths of diagonals and sides in many polygons such as squares and rectangles. See the example below:

This is just one of many ways that the Pythagorean Theorem can be used. How might someone use this mathematical principle in the real world?