Year 7 Pythagoras’ Theorem

Dr J Frost (jfrost@tiffin.kingston.sch.uk)
www.drfrostmaths.com
Objectives: Apply Pythagoras’ Theorem to 2D problems.
Know common ‘Pythagorean triples’. Know what is meant by given an
answer in ‘exact form’.
Find the perpendicular height and area of an equilateral triangle.

Last modified: 22nd July 2018

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STARTER

Sketch this right-angled triangle in your book in the centre of a

new page. Work out the length of the longest side using a ruler.

3cm

4cm
STARTER
5cm
5cm

Area = ?

3cm
Area = ?
Now turn each side of the
triangle into a square. 3cm
Can you notice anything
about the relationship of
the three areas?
Area = ? 4cm 32 + 4 2 = 5 2

4cm
Pythagoras’ Theorem

! Write this down

Hypotenuse
(the longest side)
 
For any right-angled triangle
𝑐
 
with hypotenuse .
𝑏
 

𝑎
 

Bro Note: notice that it’s the longest side

that’s on it’s own on one side of the
equation. The (squared) shorter sides are the
ones that are added.
Example

Step 1: Determine the

hypotenuse. Reveal >

𝑥
 

2
  Step 2: Form an equation
2 2 ? 2
The hypotenuse
 
2 +4 =𝑥 appears on its own.

4
 
Step 3: Solve the equation to
find the unknown side.
 

or 4.47?to 2dp
Further Example

 
𝑥 Step 1: Determine the
hypotenuse. Reveal >

3
  Step 2: Form an equation

7 2 2 ? 2
The hypotenuse

𝑥 +3 = 7
    appears on its own.

Step 3: Solve the equation to

find the unknown side.
 

or 6.32?to 2dp
Surd or decimal?
 Avalue written as the
square root of a number is
known as a surd.

Sometimes it’s better to

leave your answer in surd
form (we’ll see why later)
rather than as a decimal.
  When we found
areas/circumferences of circles,
we often left our answer in terms
to 2dp of so that it was exact. Similarly,
answers in surd form are exact
whereas decimal form answers
have to be rounded, and are thus
not exact.
Test Your Understanding

 
Answer: ? 5
2
 
Answer: ? 3
42 1 1 6
1  𝑥
 𝑥  𝑥
6 4
 𝑥
 𝑥 4
55
8
12  
Answer: ?

10
 
Answer: ?  
Answer: ?
 
“To learn secret way of ninja,
find you must.”
 Pythagoras Mental Arithmetic
 We’ve so far written out the equation , filled in our information, and rearranged
to find the missing side. But it’s helpful to be able to do it in our heads
sometimes!

If you’re looking for the hypotenuse  Square root the sum of the squares

If you’re looking for another side  Square root the difference of the squares

 
h 7
3  
𝑥
5 4
  2 2   2 2
h=√ 3 +5
? =√ ?34 𝑥=√ 7 −4
? = √?33
Pythagoras Game!

Everyone stand up. Each of you will be asked, one at a time, and in your head, to find
the missing side of the right-angled triangle. Answer must be in exact form.

If you get it wrong, you sit down, and the person who last sat down has the
opportunity to ‘steal’, where they will be able to stand up again if they correct the
answer.

Test Run:
 5
 3  7 √  ?𝟓𝟑
 𝟒
?  2

(Note to teacher: You don’t need to specifically click on the green boxes. The next
answer will be removed by a mouse/right-arrow press anywhere)
 Pythagoras Game!
 6  2
 4  4
 3 √  ?𝟏𝟎  3  4  3
 7
√  ?𝟒𝟓
√  ?𝟓𝟐
 1 √  ?𝟕 √  ?𝟕
 3  2
 2  6
 1  2  5  8 √  ?𝟔𝟖  2
√  ?𝟏𝟑 √?𝟖
 

√  ?𝟑 √  ?𝟏𝟏  2

 5  3
10
   𝟏𝟑 11
 
 5  8 12
  ?  4
√?𝟓𝟎
   9
√?𝟕𝟐
 

 𝟔
? √  𝟏𝟎𝟓
?
 5
 Pythagoras Game!
 5  7
 3  9  𝟓
 1  2  2  4
?  2
√  ?𝟐 𝟗 √  ?𝟓𝟑
√  ?𝟖 √  ?𝟕𝟕  3

 4  2
 9 10
 
 4  7 10
  √ 𝟏𝟐𝟓
 ?  3
√𝟑𝟐
 ?
√?𝟑𝟐
   6
√  ?𝟑𝟐  5 √?𝟗𝟏
 

 8 10
 
 7  6
 6 √  ?𝟔𝟏  1  3  3
12
√  ?𝟒𝟒
√  ?𝟕𝟑  

 5 √  ?𝟒𝟖 √  ?𝟐𝟕
Exercise 1
Find the side marked with the letter
(you do not need to copy the diagrams).
3 Alice and Bob want to get from one corner of
this rectangular field to the other. Alice walks
4.5
  b c 98
  round the edge of the field. Bob cuts right
1 a  𝑧
1.8
 
across. How much further did Alice walk?
 7
 𝑡
240
  𝑚
3.6
  125
 
Start

90𝑚
  ?
80m
 𝑚 f
2.2
 
e
d  𝑠 Finish
 9 1.4
23
   
 𝑦 [Kangaroo Pink 2008 Q3] Four unit squares
4  are placed edge to edge as shown. What is
 7
the length of the line ?
19
   𝑥 Solution:
g
?
Solutions: (to 3sf)
 𝑝
5.1
  ? (b) 3.12
(a) 8.32 ? (c) 77.6
? N [Based on JMO 1996 A6] The length of the
? (e) 5.66
(d) 29.8 ? (f) 2.61
? shortest diagonal of an octagon is 1. What is
?
(g) 8.03 the length of the longest diagonal?
6.2
 
Solution:
 
1  1  
2 To rescue a cat I put a ladder of length 10m
against a tree, with the foot of the ladder 2.5m
2 √ (if this were a proof
?
you’d need to justify
away from the tree. How high up the tree is the why it’s right-angled)

?
cat? 9.68m 1
Starter

  may have noticed last lesson that

You
sometimes all three sides of the right-angled
triangle were integers.
 
29 These are known as Pythagorean triples.
 
21 For example: The sides could be 20, 21 and
29, as and thus satisfy Pythagoras’ Theorem.

How many Pythagorean triples can you find?

 
20
(3, 4, 5) (5, 12, 13) (8, 15, 17) (7, 24, 25)
(20, 21, 29) (12, 35, 37) (9, 40, 41) (28, 45, 53)
(11, 60, 61) (16, 63, 65) (33, 56, 65) (48, 55, 73)
(13, 84, 85) (36, 77, 85) (39, 80, 89) (65, 72, 97)
?
Note that you could also have any multiple of any of these triples as the triangles could be
scaled in size. So for example (3, 4, 5) could become (6,8,10) and so on.
A final note is that if you changed the powers from 2 to 3, or any higher number, then there would never be any solutions.
This is known as Fermat’s Last Theorem, which was unproven for hundreds of years before being proven in 1995.
Harder Questions
There’s a variety of ways in which Pythagoras questions could get harder:

 
𝑥 6
2 2
 𝑥 7 2 𝑥 +1
 
Area?
12
 

2 3
4 3 𝑥 −1
 

A Multiple triangles B Adding lines to form C Requiring algebraic

chained together. right-angled triangles manipulation.
that weren’t
originally there.
A :: Multiple Triangles

 What should we do first?

 
𝑥 6 Find the central length
using the right triangle.
 
𝒚 ?

4 3
 Then what?
Now we can find using
the left triangle.
?

 
Notice that . This is why it’s often important to leave your
answers in surd form.
Test Your Understanding

 
𝑥
 
2 ?2
4 𝑦= √ 4 +6 =√ 52
12
6
B :: Adding Lines
Sometimes the line(s) you add to form right angled
 
7 triangle(s) are fairly obvious…

 
𝑦 4  
2 2
𝑦= √7 +4 = √ 65
 
 
𝑥 ?

1
 

And sometimes really not very obvious at all…

Click to (because the radii of the circles are 4 and

Brosketch > 1, and therefore the combined length 5)
4
 (because the difference in the distances
5? between the centres of the circle and the
?3 1 bottom is )

4?  By Pythagoras. Therefore .

 𝑥
30-60-90 Triangles
  want to find the area of this equilateral
We
triangle. But we first need the perpendicular
height.
 
2 30°
 
 
2 What do we do first?
The triangle can be split in half. We get a
right-angled triangle with?base 1.
√3
 

60°
  So what therefore is the height?
Using Pythagoras’ Theorem, the height is .
?
 
2  1 What therefore is the area of the whole
triangle?
Bro
  Pro Tip: The height of an
equilateral triangle is times half ?
the side length.

 ! The ratio between the lengths of a -- triangle is

because it is half an equilateral .   30
2   °
e.g. We can halve the hypotenuse to get the shortest length, √  3
and multiply the shortest length by to get the other. 60°
 
1
 
(This is really important for those who want to do well at the JMO)
Quickfire Heights!
 Reminder of Pro Bro Tip: The height of an equilateral triangle is
times half the side length.

2 4  
2 √3 1

 Height ?  Height ?  Height ?  Height

?
Area ? Area Area Area
? ?
?
Test Your Understanding
Medium Difficulty
 
4  
Find the height of this
isosceles triangle.
Solution:
?
 
6
Harder Difficulty

 
[JMO 2000 A8] An equilateral triangle is cut out
of a square of side 2 cm, as shown. What area
of the square remains?
Solution:
?
1 Difficult Difficulty

√ 3  
[Kangaroo Pink 2012 Q11] Six identical circles
fit together tightly in a rectangle of width 6 cm
√ 3 as shown. What is the height, in cm, of the
rectangle? Solution:
1 ?
C :: Algebraic Triangles

15
2 2 2
   

4𝑎
(3 𝑎) +(4 𝑎) =15
 
?

 
3𝑎

(You will likely encounter more interesting algebraic

Pythagoras problems next year once you cover
expanding two brackets)
Exercise 2 (exercises on provided sheet)

Give answers in exact form unless

specified. 3
 
3
 Santa Claus and Rudolph are
2 sitting at the corner of a
1 square swimming pool of 10m
12
  by 10m, which has frozen over.
5
  The want to get to the other
corner of the pool, where
 𝑥 Mary Christmas has left some
2
  brandy and a carrot. Rudolph
runs around the edge of the
 4 pool, while Santa, who has
recently been on a diet,
decides to risk walking
diagonally across the ice.
5
 
1
 
Calculate the distance saving,
to 2dp.
  𝑦 m
 
𝑥=√ 185
? ?
 
𝑦= √ 13
?
Exercise 2 (exercises on provided sheet)

Two snowmen are back to 6

4
back, facing in opposite
directions. They each walk 2
 
3km forward, turn left and
then work a further 4km. 3
 
How far are the snowmen
from each other?
1
 
Solution: 10km
?   𝑧  𝑧= √8?− √3
5 1
 
6
  6
 
7 6
  6
   Find the height of this
isosceles triangle.

6
 
8
  Solution: ?
 (a) What is the height of
this equilateral triangle?
8
25
 
Find the area of this
Solution: or
? 48
 
isosceles triangle.
(b) The area?
Solution:
?
25
  ?
Solution: 168
Exercise 2 (exercises on provided sheet)

9
1
  10

1
 
1
 

  1 [IMC 2008 Q20] What, in cm2, is the area of

this quadrilateral? Solution: 48cm2
?
 
11 [IMC 2009 Q20] A square, of side two units, is
1
 
folded in half to form a triangle. A second fold
𝑥
  is made, parallel to the first, so that the apex of
this triangle folds onto a point on its base,
1
  thereby forming an isosceles trapezium. What
is the perimeter of this trapezium?
A B C
 
𝑥=√ 6
?
D E 5

?D
Solution:
Exercise 2 (exercises on provided sheet)

12
 Determine .

2𝑥
 

√ 27
 

 
𝑥
Exercise 2 (exercises on provided sheet)

N1  [JMO 2006 B4] Start with an equilateral N2 2 

triangle of side 2 units, and construct three
 𝐴 𝑃  𝐵 
outward-pointing squares ABPQ, BCTU,
CARS and the three sides AB, BC, CA. What
𝑈  √  3 𝑄 
is the area of the hexagon PQRSTU?
𝐹  𝐶 
𝑄
 
30 ° 30 °  𝑅 𝑇  𝑅 
  120°  2 2
 2      
90 90
 °𝐴° 
  60 ° 𝐸  𝑆  𝐷 
   2
 𝑃 Diagram ?  𝑆  [JMO 1999 B4] The regular hexagon has sides
𝐵
   2 𝐶
  of length 2. The point is the midpoint of . is
the midpoint of and so on. Find the area of
𝑇 the hexagon .
𝑈
   
 We can use the angles to show that The
  outer hexagon is composed of 6
Solution: equilateral triangles (as indicated). As
each of the surrounding triangles can ? the side length is 2, the height is .
be cut into two and the halves moved Thus the inner hexagon consists of 6
Solutiontriangle
to form an equilateral ? of side equilateral triangles with side length .
The height of each is
2. Thus we have 4 equilateral triangles Thus overall area is
and 3 squares for a total area of
Exercise 2 (exercises on provided sheet)

N3  [JMO 2007 B5] A window is constructed of six

identical panes of glass. Each pane is a
pentagon with two adjacent sides of length
two units. The other three sides of each
pentagon, which are on the perimeter of the
window, form half of the boundary of a regular
hexagon. Calculate the exact area of the glass
in the window.

Each pane can be split into 7 equilateral

triangles with side length 1. Each has an area
of .
There are of these, thus? the area is
Exercise 2 (exercises on provided sheet)

N4  [JMO Mentoring May2012 Q4] A triangle has

two angles which measure 30° and 105°. The
side between these angles has length 2 cm.
What is the perimeter of the triangle? (Hint:
split the triangle somehow?)

Solution:
The key here is that can be split into and .   2  30 °
Thus we end up with a 30-60-90 triangle
(which we know is half an equilateral triangle,
 60 °
so can work out the sides) and an isosceles
right-angled triangle (which we can use ? 45
  °1  √3
 

Pythagoras’ Theorem on.  

√2
45
  °  1
Exercise 2 (exercises on provided sheet)

N5 N6
  𝑥
  9 27
   
𝑥

  7
3𝑥
   
3
 
Determine (to 2dp).
  𝑥 Solution: Using similar strategy to
 
Determine . the previous question:
Solution: We can find the (square of
the) central length in two different
ways: ?
?
One Final Really Cool Thingy…

h  𝑑    2 2
𝑑 +𝑟 = ( h+ 𝑟 )
2

How far can you see into the

horizon when:
𝑟  (a) at sea level, and your
height is 1.5m.
𝑟  (b) Sitting in a plane 12km
above sea level?

It may be helpful to use the

radius of the Earth: 6371km.