If you need hypotenuse (a), height (h) and perimeter and you already have the two equal sides (b), this calculator does the substitution for you. It suits a quick check, a homework answer you want to confirm, or any figure you need to sanity test.
What Is the Isosceles Right Triangle Calculator?
The isosceles right triangle calculator works through the two equal sides (b) to give you hypotenuse (a), height (h) and perimeter.
It is aimed at the case where you know the method but not the arithmetic: schoolwork, a quick check on a worked example, or a figure that needs to be right first time.
How the Isosceles Right Triangle Works
Each step is applied in order and depends only on the values before it, which makes it possible to follow the calculation rather than take it on trust.
If you are working through the same problem by hand afterwards, compare the intermediate values. That is where a mistake usually shows itself.
Checking Your Own Working
Round sensibly as you go and keep the full precision in the calculator. Rounding too early is the most common way of getting a right method to give a wrong answer.
Where a result should be a whole number, such as a count, check it against the constraint that produced it. A fraction of a person is a sign that something upstream needs revisiting.
A Worked Example
Working through an example, with the two equal sides (b) set to 10, the calculator returns hypotenuse (a) of 14.14214, and height (h) of 7.07107, and area of 50. Substitute your own figures and the same steps produce the same kind of answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to work out hypotenuse (a)?
Enter the two equal sides (b). The calculator then works through the relationship and reports hypotenuse (a), height (h) and perimeter.
What does the isosceles right triangle actually calculate?
It takes the two equal sides (b) and converts them into hypotenuse (a), height (h) and perimeter using the standard relationship for this problem. Each step is applied in turn, so every output is traceable back to the numbers you typed in.
How should I enter the two equal sides (b)?
Use the value you actually have, in the unit shown next to the field. Enter every value in the same unit system. The calculator assumes the figures you supply are consistent, so it cannot correct a mistake that happens before the calculation starts.
Does anything you type get stored?
No. The whole calculation runs inside your browser, and nothing you enter is uploaded, logged or sent anywhere.
Can I use this for a quick estimate as well as a precise answer?
Yes. The calculator is built for quick checks, so round your inputs to a sensible number of significant figures and the result will be just as useful. If you need more precision, keep the same method and add digits to the inputs rather than adjusting the method itself.