Water-proof of Pythagoras' Theorem

Pythagoras' Theorem water-proved (made in Switzerland)

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Pythagoras
• Theorem
• Technorama

[uthikoloshe]

Ilklr said "While this may not be mathematical proof, it is proof nonetheless."

Is it EVIDENCE, not PROOF. The triangle here is one of an infinite number of possible triangles. This experiment checks only one of them, so pythagoras is not proven, the experiments does nothing more than provide evidence that it might be true.

[dragongrl2004]

Sorry you had a bad day, don't take it out on others.

This is demonstrating the Pythagorean Theorem which says that if you have a right triangle and square the length of the legs and add them together then it will equal the squared length of the hypotenuse.

This is demonstrating that a length squared plus a length squared is the same as the largest length squared. It is actually a really nice demonstration of the concept. This was not suppose to be a demonstration in gravity, just in area.

[lovelplants]

nice demonstrations..

[OldSchoolSkill]

@uthikoloshe

Strictly speaking, you are correct. Mathematics and science require the utmost rigor, and that includes careful use of words with precise definitions.

However, from the educational standpoint, this visual representation of physical volume of water instead of area to "prove" Pythagoras' theorem is dynamic, "fluid" and clever. It helps those who don't understand it "see" the truth intuitively.

[Blackfriday420]

@Blackfriday420 ughhh, that it can be proven mathematically.

[uthikoloshe]

@OldSchoolSkill What use are words if we persist in using the wrong ones? There is no arguement at all about what 'proof' means, thats why we have definitions, incase someone (like you?) thinks there is.

For instance:- Intuitive (Intuition) is the ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason (wiki). That would make the sentance intuitive proof an oxymoron.

Mathematics is all about rigour. This model here is about visulaisong the conjecture. The title is inacurate.

[uthikoloshe]

@Blackfriday420 Well done. Whats your point?

[Blackfriday420]

@uthikoloshe I can prove it mathematically and so can a million other people.

[webmastertool]

I have another water proof Pythagorean theorem. It's the original vigorous proof of the Pythagorean theorem in water proof laminated sleeves.

[typoque]

Sorry to bother you with small details, but the experiment shows that the sum of volumes (not areas) of the two "small squares" is equal to the "volume" of the square of the hypotenuse. This requires a further condition to hold, which is that the three squares are equally "thick", so that the third dimension (say x>0) cancels out:

(a^2)·x+(b^2)·x=(c^2)·x=>a^2+b­^2=c^2, to give the famous formula. Funnily, for x=0 the water volume proof makes the theorem true for all triangles(!).

[Kaulnapf]

co sa azy