Pythagoras’ theorem

In this section you will… Key words

• learn the relationship between the three sides of a right- hypotenuse
angled triangle Pythagoras’
• use two sides of a right-angled triangle to calculate the third theorem
side.

The builder measures out lengths of 3 metres, 4 metres

wall
and 5 metres on the ground in a triangle with the First
3-metre side along the first wall as shown. They build
the second wall along the 4-metre side. The triangle is 3m
right-angled. The right angle is between the 3 m and

Seco
4 m sides. The longest side of a right-angled triangle is 4m

nd w
called the hypotenuse. In this example, the hypotenuse 5m

all
is 5 m long.
32 = 9, 4 2 = 16 and 52 = 25. Tip
Hence 32 + 4 2 = 52. 9 + 16 = 25

The square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum

of the squares of the other two sides.

This result is true for any right-angled triangle: a 2 + b 2 = c 2

c b

a
This result is called Pythagoras’ theorem. Pythagoras was born on
the Greek island of Samos and wrote a proof of this theorem over
2500 years ago.
Worked example 5.6
ABCD is a rectangle. Calculate the length of the diagonal AC.
A B

7.5 cm
 Continued
Answer
ADC is a right-angled triangle. AC is
the hypotenuse.
If AC is x cm, then by Pythagoras’ theorem:
x 2 = 7.52 + 11.32 = 183.94

=
So x =
183.94 13.6 to 1 d.p. The square root of 183.94 is an irrational
number. Round to 1 decimal place.

Worked example 5.7

a cm
3.5 cm

6.0 cm

Ari says: a 2 = 6.0 2 + 3.52 = 48.25, and

= so a =
48.25 6.9
a Show that Ari is incorrect.
b Work out the correct value of a.

Answer
a Ari is incorrect because the hypotenuse is the The hypotenuse is the side opposite the
6.0 cm side, not the a cm side. right angle.
b Using Pythagoras’ theorem: a 2 + 3.52 = 6.0 2
So a 2 = 6.0 2 − 3.52 = 23.75
=
and a = 23.75 4.9 to 1 d.p.

Exercise 5.5
1 Calculate the length of the hypotenuse in each of these triangles.
a b c
15 cm
5 cm 8 cm
6 cm

12 cm
8 cm
2 Calculate the length of the hypotenuse in each of these triangles.
Round your answers to 1 decimal place.
a b c
9.6 cm 13.5 cm
2.5 cm 4.5 cm

7.4 cm
3.5 cm

3 Calculate the length of the missing side in each of these triangles.

a b c

6.4 m
85 mm
9 cm 40 mm
15 cm

8.0 m

4 Calculate the length of the missing side in each of these triangles.

Round your answers to 1 decimal place.
a b c
8.9 cm 12.6 m
4.5 cm 4.8 m
8.0 cm
10.2 cm

5 In this question, you can leave your answers as square roots. E

1
AB = BC = CD = DE = 1 unit D

a Calculate the length of AC. 1

b Calculate the length of AD.
c Calculate the length of AE. C
d Show how the pattern continues.
e If you continue the pattern, will there be a line with length 3?
Or with length 4? Explain your answer. 1

A 1 B
6 The size of a TV screen is the length of the diagonal.

a A TV screen is 70 cm wide and 39 cm high.

Show that this is an 80 cm screen.
39 cm
b Another TV screen is 105 cm wide and 58 cm
high. Calculate the size of this screen.

70 cm

7 A ladder is leaning against a wall. The length of the ladder is

3.50 m.
The foot of the ladder is 0.91 m from the foot of the wall.
How far up the wall is the top of the ladder? Round your answer to
the nearest centimetre.
8 a Construct a triangle with sides 5.1 cm, 6.8 cm and 8.5 cm.
b Show that one of the angles must be 90°.
c Check that the triangle you have drawn is right-angled.
9 Two sides of a right-angled triangle are 15 cm and 20 cm.
Work out the possible lengths of the third side. Give reasons for
your answers.
0.91m
10 A soccer pitch is 90 m long and 40 m wide.
Zena walks from A to B round the edge of the pitch.
90 m B

40 m

a How far does Zena walk?

b How much shorter is the distance if Zena walks from A to B
in a straight line?
11 Here are a square and a rectangle.
25 mm
a Show that the square and rectangle 30 mm
have the same perimeter.
b Calculate the length of the diagonal 25 mm 20 mm
of each shape.
c Sketch another rectangle with
the same perimeter. Calculate its
diagonal.
d Sofia says:

When a square and a

rectangle have the same
perimeter, the square has
a smaller diagonal than the
rectangle.

What evidence can you find to support Sofia’s conjecture?

12 One side of a right-angled triangle is 17 . The other two sides are
integers.
How long are the other two sides? Is there more than one possible
answer?

Think like a mathematician

13 a Here is a rectangle.
7.5 units

5.5 units

Show that the length of the diagonal is 86.5 units.