Chapter 4

Pythagoras’ theorem
UNIT 1: Hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle
Question 1 Name the hypotenuse of each right-angled triangle.
L
a B
a C b P
c
r
m n
q
c b N
R p Q
l M
A

d T
e W f J

U
R S
V
K L

Question 2 Name the hypotenuse of the triangle named below the diagram.
A B P Q L M
a b c

T J
E

S R K N
D C
∆ADC ∆PSR ∆LJM

T D
A
d e f
E H
P S B D F

Q R C
∆PST ∆CBD ∆FHG G

Question 3 Complete the following statements.

a is the length of the side opposite to angle D. d
E F
b is the length of the side opposite to angle E.
c is the length of the side opposite to angle F. e
f
d is the length of the hypotenuse of ∆DEF.
D
e is the area of the square on the side opposite to ∠D.
f is the area of the square on the side opposite to ∠F.

29
Pythagoras’ theorem
UNIT 2: Naming the sides of a right-angled triangle
For each of the following triangles, complete the table below and verify that the square on the
hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides.
1 B 2 A 5 C 3
B
5
3 10
6
12
13
C A A
4 C
8
B
C A
4 5 6 C
12
16 8 12 9
17
A
B 20 C A B
15
15
B

7 C 8 B 9
20
A
24 10 C 34

A 25 16
B 15 B
26
30
C
A

a b c a2 b2 c2 a2 + b2

30
Pythagoras’ theorem
UNIT 3: Selecting the correct Pythagorean rule

In the following right-angled triangles, circle the correct statement.

D
1 A a a2 = b2 + c2 2 a d 2 = e2 + f 2
b b2 = a2 + c2 b e 2 = d2 + f 2

C
c c2 = a2 + b2 c f 2 = d 2 + e2
F
B

E
G H
3 a g2 = h2 + i2 4 J a j2 = k2 + l2
b h2 = g2 + i2 b k2 = j2 + l2
c i2 = g2 + h2 c l2 = j2 + k2
K
L

I
Q
5 a m2 = n2 + o2 6 a p2 = q2 + r2
M
b n2 = m2 + o2 P b q2 = p2 + r2
c o2 = m2 + n2 c r2 = p2 + q2
O
N R

X Y
7 a s =t +u
2 2 2
8 a x2 = y2 + z2
S T
b t2 = s2 + u2 b y2 = x2 + z2
c u2 = s2 + t2 c z2 = x2 + y2

U Z

B
9 U a u2 = v2 + w2 10 a b2 = c2 + d 2
b v2 = u2 + w2 b c2 = b2 + d 2
c w2 = u2 + v2 C c d2 = b2 + c2
V W
D

E H
11 a e2 = f 2 + g2 12 a h2 = i2 + j2
b f 2 = e2 + g2 b i2 = h2 + j2
c g2 = e2 + f 2 I c j2 = i2 + h2
F G J

Chapter 4: Pythagoras’ theorem 31

Pythagoras’ theorem
UNIT 4: Squares, square roots and
Pythagorean triads
Question 1 Use your calculator to find the following squares.
a 15 =
2
b 132 = c 402 =
d 282 = e 52 = f 692 =
g 102 = h 172 = i 812 =
j 82 = k 412 = l 992 =

Question 2 Use the square root key to find n, given that n > 0.
a n2 = 169 b n2 = 841 c n2 = 576
d n2 = 4761 e n2 = 100 f n2 = 1444
g n2 = 144 h n2 = 441 i n2 = 1600
j n2 = 2809 k n2 = 784 l n2 = 5625

Question 3 Which of the following are Pythagorean triads?

a {2, 4, 6} b {9, 12, 15} c {9, 40, 41}

d {4, 6, 10} e {3, 4, 5} f {8, 13, 17}

g {8, 10, 12} h {19, 40, 41} i {6, 8, 10}

j {5, 12, 13} k {15, 36, 39} l {8, 15, 17}

Question 4 Prove that the following triangles are right-angled triangles.

a

5 4 12 5
b

13
3

32
Pythagoras’ theorem
Pages 94–101
UNIT 5: Finding the length of the hypotenuse
Question 1 Find the length of the hypotenuse in each of the following. (All measurements are in
centimetres.)
a b
15
20
x 4
x

c d
6 8 12

x x
5

e f 24
30 16
10
x
x

Question 2 Find the length of the hypotenuse correct to one decimal place. (All measurements are
in centimetres.)
a b
5 5

x 3
x
3.5

c d
7
7
x
x
4
4.2

e f

1.2 6.5
3.4 x

x
3.5

Chapter 4: Pythagoras’ theorem 33

Pythagoras’ theorem
Pages 94–101
UNIT 6: Finding the length of one of the other sides
Question 1 In the following triangles find the length of the unknown sides. (All measurements are
in centimetres.)
a b
12 x 20
12

13
x

6
c d
15 x x

10
17

7 x
e f
x
41
25

40

Question 2 Find the length of the unknown side correct to one decimal place. (All measurements
are in centimetres.)
6
a b

x x
15.3 14

8.9

c 5 d
9 x

14.2
x 17

e f

15
4.5 x 7

12.3
x

34
Pythagoras’ theorem
UNIT 7: Mixed questions
Question 1 In the following triangles find the length of the unknown sides.
a b 80 m

65 m 39 m
xm xm

63 m

c d
22.5 m
xm
xm 101 m
21.6 m

20 m

e f
x cm 2.8 m 19.5 m

140 cm
51 cm xm

Question 2 Find the length of the unknown side correct to one decimal place. (All measurements
are in centimetres.)
a b a
15
x
12
18
11

c 4 d
9
12
14
x
y

e f
25 36
64
x

60 x

Chapter 4: Pythagoras’ theorem 35

Pythagoras’ theorem
Pages 94–101
UNIT 8: Miscellaneous questions on Pythagoras’
theorem
Question 1 In each of the following, find the length of the unknown side, correct to one decimal
place. (All measurements are in centimetres.)
x
a b
5
12
17 11

x
8

c d
16 x
x
2
3
y
20
4

e f
12 x 24
x
30
20

Question 2 Find the length of the unknown side correct to two decimal places. (All measurements
are in centimetres.)
a b
5 x 3

6 12
x

14

c d
6
10
x
7 x

4
x
e f
5 15

24 21

36
Pythagoras’ theorem
UNIT 9: Problem solving and Pythagoras’ theorem
Question 1 Find the length of the diagonal of:
a a square of side length 5 cm b a rectangle of length 35 cm and width 12 cm
5 cm
35 cm

12 cm

Question 2 What is the altitude of an equilateral triangle whose sides are each 16 cm long?
Give your answer correct to two decimal places.

16 cm

h cm

Question 3 A 15 metre ladder rests against a wall and its foot is 4 metres away from the base of the
wall. How high does it reach up the wall? Give your answer correct to two decimal
places.

Question 4 The hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle is 30 cm. If one of the short sides is 18 cm,
find the length of the other side.

Question 5 In a right-angled triangle, the longest side is 39 cm and the shortest side is 15 cm.
Find the length of the third side.

Question 6 Find the perimeter of this triangle.

28.8 m

17.5 m

Chapter 4: Pythagoras’ theorem 37

Pythagoras’ theorem
TOPIC TEST PART A
Instructions • This part consists of 12 multiple-choice questions.
• Fill in only ONE CIRCLE for each question.
• Each question is worth 1 mark.

Time allowed: 15 minutes Total marks: 12

Marks

1 A triangle is said to satisfy the rule c2 = a2 + b2 for which special triangle?

A acute-angled B right-angled C obtuse-angled D none of these 1

2 The longest side of a right-angled triangle is called the

A shortest side B middle side C hypotenuse D none of these 1

3 Given that c2 = a2 + b2 and a = 8, b = 15, find the value of c (c > 0)?

A 17 B 23 C 289 D 529 1

4 Pythagoras’ theorem can be applied to

A acute-angled triangles B obtuse-angled triangles
C right-angled triangles D any triangle 1

5 The hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle is 17 cm. If one side is 15 cm, the third side is
A 14 cm B 12 cm C 10 cm D 8 cm 1

6 If the two sides of a right-angled triangle are 2.4 m and 1 m then the hypotenuse is
A 2.4 m B 2.6 m C 3.4 m D 3.8 m 1

7 The Pythagorean result for a triangle ABC right-angled at C is

A a2 = b2 + c2 B b2 = a2 + c2 C c2 = a2 + b2 D none of these 1

8 The hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle is opposite to the

A acute angle B right angle C obtuse angle D none of these 1

9 If two shorter sides of a right-angled triangle are 7 m and 8 m, then the hypotenuse is
A 65 B 85 C 113 D 193 1

10 In a triangle ABC right-angled at C, the hypotenuse is named as

A a B b C c D none of these 1

11 If the two sides of a right-angled triangle are 6 cm and 8 cm, then the hypotenuse is
A 10 cm B 9.4 cm C 12 cm D 14 cm 1

12 If n2 = 2304 then n (n > 0) equals

A 38 B 42 C 48 D 52 1

Total marks achieved for PART A

12

38
Pythagoras’ theorem
TOPIC TEST PART B
Instructions • This part consists of 15 questions.
• Each question is worth 1 mark.
• Write only the answer in the answer column.
• For any working use the question column.

Time allowed: 20 minutes Total marks: 15

Questions Answers Marks

1 If n2 = 3844 (n > 0) find the value of n. 1

Q

2 Is {6, 8, 10} a Pythagorean triad? 36 27 1

3 Is ∆PQR right-angled? P 1
45

Find the length of the unknown side in the following triangles,

correct to two decimal places (where necessary).
4 5
22 m x 17 m 1
3m

x
1
15 m

6 7
7.2 cm 12 m 1
x x

1
13 m
9.6 cm
8 9
7 cm 1
24 cm 1m 2m
1
x x

10 3m 11
1
x
8m
h 1
13 m
11 m
12 13
1
x 8 cm
x
5m 1

12 m 15 cm
14 15
1
17 m x 11 cm
23 cm
1
20 m
x

Total marks achieved for PART B

15

Chapter 4: Pythagoras’ theorem 39