document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=707457>Question 707457</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> It is believed that surveyors in ancient Egypt laid out right angles using a rope divided into twelve sections by eleven equally spaced knots. How could the surveyors use this rope to make a right angle? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #435704 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><B>jim_thompson5910(35256)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=435704\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> They could use the rope to measure out 3 units for one leg and 4 units for the other leg. Then they would use the rope to measure 5 units from one endpoint of the leg and draw a circle. That would be used to construct a 3,4,5 side length triangle.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Since 3^2 + 4^2 = 5^2 by the pythagorean theorem converse, we know that the triangle formed (3,4,5) is a right triangle.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "They would then be able to scale either leg to whatever lengths they wanted once they had the right angle. </SPAN>\n" );
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