Pythagorean Theorem question and my actual bed length?

[Oasis Maker]

Jeez - if you don't use it you lose it... (which only tells me I need to build something)

Anyhow, simple math question. Earlier today I was telling my girlfriend that two people sleeping on an angle on "their side" of the bed gives you considerably more length for your legs and that's what attracted me to the Little Guy 6-wide model. Simple math with the Pythagorean Theorem in finding a right triangle's hypotenuse to determine exact length, yes?

The mattress is 72" X 78" so obviously each side 36" X 78" for the equation:



The pythagorean theorem : the sum of the squares of the lengths of the legs equals the square of the length of the hypotenuse.
Usually, this theorem is expressed as a2+b2=c2

No problem, breezin... (aside from not finding the blasted squared symbol on my Mac) 36 squared (1296) + 78 squared (6084) = 7380

Okay, so 7380 = X squared

Answer: Just shy of 86 inches in length > 85.91 inches. But I only got that because I had an idea as to what number to try first for X, even still I had to poke and prod guessing on the calculator to arrive at 85.91. I can't remember how to narrow it down? Or am I forgetting a simple calculator command to nail it first time?

Scott G.

[Juneaudave]

That would be the square root....

[Oasis Maker]

OH MAN this is pathetic... I forgot the little check thingy on the calculator for square root. I kept guessing a number and the multiplying it by X squared.

Been away from it toooo long. Pretty pathetic.

Scott g.

[Oasis Maker]

shaking my head at myself right now.

[Oasis Maker]

I'll tell you what else this reminds me of too. I've been tying on computers for so long and when I do write I print. So on those rare occasions when I have to write something other than my name in cursive, I actually forget how to write a couple of letters?

I have no shame tonight.

In my own defense, I've heard others say that too.

Scott G.

[robertaw]

I'll tell you what else this reminds me of too. I've been tying on computers for so long and when I do write I print. So on those rare occasions when I have to write something other than my name in cursive, I actually forget how to write a couple of letters?

I have no shame tonight.

In my own defense, I've heard others say that too.

Scott G.

I can't write anymore either. I only print except for my signature. If I try writing it is slow and awkward....very weird since I grew up in a time before computers.

On the bright side, I can type lightning fast

[High Desert]

man Scott, you're straining my brain lol. But it was actually a good refresher, I was trying to remember how to do this the other day and couldn't for the life of me.

I have to do a lot of hand written stuff every day so I'm OK there. However my typing fairly sux...

[Oasis Maker]

I'll tell you what else this reminds me of too. I've been tying on computers for so long and when I do write I print. So on those rare occasions when I have to write something other than my name in cursive, I actually forget how to write a couple of letters?

I have no shame tonight.

In my own defense, I've heard others say that too.

I can't write anymore either. I only print except for my signature. If I try writing it is slow and awkward....very weird since I grew up in a time before computers.

On the bright side, I can type lightning fast

My mother forced me to take typing in high school strictly in preparation for typing term papers, etc. in college. Little could anyone know how much a part of mainstream life this would become with computers. I'd be peckin' at the keys with one finger if not for her.

Scott G.

[Nitetimes]

man Scott, you're straining my brain lol. But it was actually a good refresher, I was trying to remember how to do this the other day and couldn't for the life of me.

I have to do a lot of hand written stuff every day so I'm OK there. However my typing fairly sux...

Not mine...it just sux...plain and simple!!! All hail the mighty backspace button!!!


Hey Shaun!

[mikeschn]

Yep on the square root thingie. Of course, you could have also fired up a cad system, drawn up the triangle, and just measure the distance from corner to corner!!!

Mike...

[Aaron Coffee]

I had to take typing in high school in order to take computers. In computers learned BASIC. Commodore computers, programs stored on cassette tapes. When I started programming the turret punch, I told another guy my age that it was very similar to BASIC programming and got a "HUH?".
Didn't understand all that stuff in algebra, but after I started in sheetmetal I needed to figure out all of our square punchs on a 45 degree angle, and thought, "what was that formula?" coulnd't remember so I figured out my own formula.
Anybody else have a problem with computer keyboards, if I center the keyboard to my body then the keys are off to my left, but if I center the keys to my body I have the number pad off to my left. Guess I must have a little OCD going on.

[Arne]

I had to take typing in high school in order to take computers. In computers learned BASIC.

I took typing during my senior year in high school in prep for college papers, also.

Then my profession became working in IT for large companies (Nielsen TV ratings, Time-Life, Florsheim Shoe Co., Aetna)... and typing became a way of life, including carpal tunnel (no operation, just rest)... and my writing went to hell....

But typing was probably the most important single class I took in H/S....

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

OH MAN this is pathetic... I forgot the little check thingy on the calculator for square root. I kept guessing a number and the multiplying it by X squared.

Been away from it toooo long. Pretty pathetic.

Scott g.

Scott,
I've been using pythagorean theorem for over 30 years straight... Building windows when I was doing glass and now that I'm into sheetmetal, I use it every day when doing triangulation layout.
Another handy thing to remember about this calculation is the 3-4-5 rule. (Or multiples of 3-4-5)
If A is 3 & B is 4 (or visa versa)... C will be 5 if your angle at AB is a 90.

[Oasis Maker]

Yep on the square root thingie. Of course, you could have also fired up a cad system, drawn up the triangle, and just measure the distance from corner to corner!!!

Mike...

Yeah... now you're just showin' off. Never used a cad, and when I did play golf I carried my own clubs.

Something else too. I came up in a weird time in our country's schooling for math. In my school at least, you were NOT allowed to use a calculator when they first came out. It was strictly taboo and contraband to have one in the classroom. You were told you must "learn" these formulas and you could never accomplish that on a calculator.

Funny, maybe that's why I don't know what so many of the keys on a calculator are for. I see "MC" and I'm thinkin' it's "Hammer Time" or some other rapper thing.

The other dud in math was an embarrassing attempt to implement the metric system into our schools. It was called "new math". Remember that? Forget that the whole rest of the world is on the metric system. Anyhow it was a disaster and complete confusion. The damn teachers didn't even know how to teach it? Finally after a couple of years, the idea was chucked. This great country that ushered in the industrial revolution thankfully went back to gassing up our cars in gallons.

Scott G.

[High Desert]

we must be roughly the same age Scott, I also remember the 'no calculator' rule. Of course then one cost about a hundred bucks, with the same functions as ones they give away today