Lang, Serge − Basic Mathematics. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. 1st ed., 1971.

COMPLETE ANSWER KEY

T HIS PUBLICATION IS NEITHER OFFICIAL NOR AUTHORIZED .

This is a Complete Answer Key for the book Basic Mathematics by Serge Lang.
It was created with the sole purpose of helping students find a more or
less reliable source for solutions to the exercises proposed in the book.
NO FINANCIAL GAIN IS INTENDED HERE .

Created by Renato de Melo.

Email: [email protected].
Last modified: 2023-12-26

Part Two INTUITIVE GEOMETRY

5 Distance and Angles
§ 3 . THE PYTHAGORAS THEOREM
A NSWERS TO S ELECTED E XERCISES
[The exercises with numbers in bold show answers to the 'selected
exercises' from the book itself; the others show my own answers.]

EXERCISES pg 129 (145)

1. What is the length of the diagonal of a square whose sides have length
2 2 2 2 2
e) r → r + r = d ⇔ 2r = d ⇔ d = r √2
a) 2 → 2 √2 b) 3 → 3 √2 c) 4 → 4 √2 d) 5 → 5 √2
2. What is the length of the diagonal of a rectangle whose sides have lengths
2 2 2
a and b → a + b = d ⇔ d = √ a2 + b2

a) 1 and 2 → d = √ 12 + 22 ⇔ d = √ 5
b) 3 and 5 → d = √ 3 2 + 5 2 ⇔ d = √ 34
c) 4 and 7 → d = √ 4 2 + 7 2 ⇔ d = √ 65
d) r and 2r → d = √ r 2 + ( 2 r ) 2 ⇔ d = √5r2 ⇔ d = r √5
e) 3r and 5r → d = √ ( 3 r ) 2 + ( 5 r ) 2 ⇔ d = √ 34 r 2 ⇔d=r √ 34
f) 4r and 7r → d = √ ( 4 r ) 2 + ( 7 r ) 2 ⇔ d = √ 65 r 2 ⇔d=r √ 65
3. What is the length of the diagonal of a cube whose sides have length
[Hint: First compute the square of the length. Consider the diagonal of
the base square of the cube, and apply the Pythagoras theorem twice.]
e) r
2
square of the length of the edge r → r
2
square of the length of the diagonal of the base square = r √2 → 2r

Chapter 5 - § 3 Page 1 out of 8

 Lang, Serge − Basic Mathematics. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. 1st ed., 1971. COMPLETE ANSWER KEY

length of the diagonal of a cube d = √r2 + 2r2 ⇔ d = r √3

a) 1 → √3 b) 2 → 2 √3 c) 3 → 3 √3 d) 4 → 4 √3

Fig. 5-29

4. What is the length of the diagonal of a rectangular solid whose sides have
lengths
[Note: Use the formula from the first item of Exercise 5 below.]
a) 3, 4, 5 → d = √ 32 + 42 + 52 ⇔ d = √ 50 = 5 √2
b) 1, 2, 4 → d = √ 1 2 + 2 2 + 4 2 ⇔ d = √ 21
c) 2, 3, 5 → d = √ 2 2 + 3 2 + 5 2 ⇔ d = √ 38
d) 1, 3, 4 → d = √ 1 2 + 3 2 + 4 2 ⇔ d = √ 26
e) 1, 3, 5 → d = √ 1 2 + 3 2 + 5 2 ⇔ d = √ 35

5. What is the length of the diagonal of a rectangular solid whose sides have
lengths a, b, c ? What if the sides have lengths ra, rb, rc ?

Fig. 5-30
Lengths a, b, c :
2 2 2
square of the length of the diagonal of the base square s = a + b

length of the diagonal of the solid d = √ a2 + b2 + c2

Lengths ra, rb, rc :
2 2 2 2
square of the length of the diagonal of the base square s =r (a +b )

length of the diagonal of the solid d = r √ a2 + b2 + c2

Chapter 5 - § 3 Page 2 out of 8

 Lang, Serge − Basic Mathematics. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. 1st ed., 1971. COMPLETE ANSWER KEY

6. You stand at a distance of 500 ft from a tower, and

the tower is 100 ft high. What is the distance
between you and the top of the tower?
d = √ 100 2 + 500 2 = √ 100 2 ( 1 2 + 52 )
d = 100 √ 26 ft

7. a) In a right triangle, one side has length 7 ft and the hypotenuse has
length 10 ft. What is the length of the other side?
s = √ 10 2 − 72 = √ 100 − 49 ⇔ s = √ 51 ft
b) Same question if one side has length 11 ft and the hypotenuse has
length 17 ft.
s = √ 17 2 − 11 2 = √ 289 − 121 ⇔ s = 2 √ 42 ft
c) Same question if one side has length 6 ft and the hypotenuse has length
13 ft.
s = √ 13 2 − 62 = √ 169 − 36 ⇔ s = √ 133 ft

8. a) You are flying a kite. Assume that

the string between you and the
kite forms a straight line segment.
Suppose that the string has length
70 ft. A friend of yours stands
exactly below the kite, and is at a
distance of 30 ft from you. How
high is the kite?
h = √ 70 2 − 30 2 = √ 10 2 ( 7 2 − 32) = 10 √ 40
h = 20 √ 10 ft
b) Same question if the length of the string is 50 ft, and if the distance
between you and your friend is 30 ft.
h = √ 50 2 − 30 2 = √ 10 2 ( 5 2 − 32) ⇔ h = 40 ft
c) Same question if the length of the string is 110 ft, and the distance
between you and your friend is 40 ft.
h = √ 110 2 − 40 2 = √ 10 2 ( 11 2 − 42 ) ⇔ h = 10 √ 105 ft

9. Write down in detail the “similar steps” left to the reader in the proof of
the corollary to the Pythagoras theorem.theorem.
Corollary. Let P, Q be distinct points in the plane. Let M be also a point in
the plane. We have
d (P, M ) = d (Q, M ).
if and only if M lies on the perpendicular bisector of PQ .

Chapter 5 - § 3 Page 3 out of 8

 Lang, Serge − Basic Mathematics. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. 1st ed., 1971. COMPLETE ANSWER KEY

Assume first that d (P, O ) = d (Q, O ). By Pythagoras, we have

d (O , P ) 2 + d (O , M ) 2 = d (P , M ) 2

d (O, Q ) 2 + d (O, M ) 2 = d (M, Q ) 2

} (I)

If d (P, O ) = d (O, Q ), that is, d (O, P ) 2 = d (O, Q ) 2 , then (I) gives

d (P, M ) 2 = d (M, Q ) 2 , that is, d (P, M ) = d (M, Q ).

10. Prove that if A , B, C are the angles of an arbitrary triangle, then

m (A ) + m (B ) + m (C ) = 180°
by the following method: From any vertex draw the perpendicular to the
line of the opposite side. Then use the result already known for right
triangles. Distinguish the two pictures in Fig. 5-31.

Fig. 5-31
a)
In the first case, the picture is as follows.
The triangles △PQN and △PNM are right
triangles, and hence
m (A 1) + m (B ) = 90° , m (A 2) + m (C ) = 90° .
Adding these, we find
m (A 1) + m (A 2) + m (B ) + m (C ) = 180°.
But m (A ) = m (A 1) + m (A 2) , so that we proved what we wanted.

b)
In the second case, the picture is as follows.
Then △PQN is a right triangle, and so is △PMN ,
with right angle at N . Hence
(*) m (A 1) + m (B ) = 90° , m (A 2) + m (C ') = 90° .
where C ' is the supplementary angle to C, i.e.,
m (C ) + m (C ') = 180° ,
so that m (C ) = 180° − m (C ') .

Chapter 5 - § 3 Page 4 out of 8

 Lang, Serge − Basic Mathematics. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. 1st ed., 1971. COMPLETE ANSWER KEY

Subtracting the expressions in (*), we find

m (A 1) − m (A 2) + m (B ) − m (C ') = 0° .
But m (A ) = m (A 1) − m (A 2). Substituting the value for m (C ') , we get
m (A ) + m (B ) + m (C ) = 180° .
11. Show that the area of an arbitrary triangle of height h whose base has
length b is bh / 2. [Hint: Decompose the triangle into two right triangles.
Distinguish between the two pictures in Fig. 5-31. In one case the area of
the triangle is the difference of the areas of two right triangles, and in the
other case, it is the sum.]

Fig. 5-31
a)
1
Area of △PQN = h(a − t)
2
1
Area of △PMN = ht
2
Area of △PQM = area of △PQN + area of △PMN
1 1 1 1
h(a − t) + ht = h(a − t + t) = ha
2 2 2 2
b)
1
Area of △PNM = h(a + t)
2
1
Area of △PNQ = ht
2
Area of △PQM = area of △PNM − area of △PNQ
1 1 1 1
h(a + t) − ht = h(a + t − t) = ha
2 2 2 2

12. a) Show that the length of the hypotenuse of a right

triangle is ≧ the length of a leg.
By Pythagoras d (P, M ) 2 = d (P, Q ) 2 + d (Q, M ) 2 . Then
d (P, M ) 2 ≧ d (P, Q ) 2 . Thus d (P, M ) ≧ d (P, Q ), and
similarly d (P, M ) ≧ d (Q, M ).

Chapter 5 - § 3 Page 5 out of 8

 Lang, Serge − Basic Mathematics. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. 1st ed., 1971. COMPLETE ANSWER KEY

b) Let P be a point and L a line. Show that the smallest value for the
distances d (P, M ) between P and points M on the line is the distance
d (P, Q ), where Q is the point of intersection between L and the line
through P, perpendicular to L.

d (P, M ) 2 = d (P, Q ) 2 + d (Q, M ) 2 . The distance is minimum when

d (Q, M ) = 0, i.e., d (Q, M ) 2 = 0. This occurs exactly when M = Q.

13. This exercise asks you to derive some standard properties of angles from
elementary geometry. They are used very commonly. We refer to the
following figures.

a) In Fig. 5-33(a), you are given two parallel lines L1, L2 and a line K which
intersects them at points P and P ' as shown. Let A and B then be angles
which K makes with L1 and L2 respectively, as shown. Prove that
m (A ) = m (B ) .
[Hint: Draw a line from a point of K above L1
perpendicular to L1 and L2 . Then use the
fact that the sum of the angles of a right
triangle has 180°.]
We can draw a perpendicular, from a point
M on K , to L2 and this line is also
perpendicular to L1 . Then △MQ 'P ' is a right
triangle, so m (C ) + m (A ) + 90° = 180°.

Chapter 5 - § 3 Page 6 out of 8

 Lang, Serge − Basic Mathematics. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. 1st ed., 1971. COMPLETE ANSWER KEY

Also △MQP is a right triangle, so m (C ) + m (B ) + 90° = 180°.

Combining these equations gives
m (A ) = m (B ) .
b) In Fig. 5-33(b), you are given L1 , L2 and K again. Let B and B ' be the
alternate angles formed by K and L1 , L2 respectively, as shown. Prove
that m (B ) = m (B '). (Actually, all you need to do here is refer to the
appropriate portion of the text. Which is it?)
See preceding Theorem 1, § 3 .
c) Let K, L be two lines as shown on Fig. 5-33(c). Prove that the opposite
angles A and A ' as shown have equal measure.

Fig. 5-33 (cont.)

Let B be the angle as shown on the figure.
Then m (A ) + m (B ) = 180°
and m (A ') + m (B ) = 180°.
Hence m (A ) = m (A ').
You could also argue by using (a) and (b).
From (a):
m (A ) = m (B ) .
From (b):
m (B ) = m (B ').
Hence, from the transitive property of equality,
m (A ) = m (B ').
O PPOSITE ANGLES HAVE EQUAL MEASURE .

14. Let △PQM be a triangle. Let L1 be the

perpendicular bisector of PQ and let L2 be the
perpendicular bisector of QM . Let O be the
point of intersection of L1 and L2. Show that
d (O, P ) = d (O, M ), and hence that O lies on the
perpendicular bisector of PM . Thus the
perpendicular bisectors of the sides of the triangle
meet in a point.

Chapter 5 - § 3 Page 7 out of 8

 Lang, Serge − Basic Mathematics. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. 1st ed., 1971. COMPLETE ANSWER KEY

1) Firstly, d (H1, P ) = d (H1, Q ). Secondly, △PH1O and △QH1O are

right triangles. Then, by applying Pythagoras, we get
d (O, P ) 2 = d (P, H1) 2 + d (O, H1) 2
and
d (O, Q ) 2 = d (Q, H1) 2 + d (O, H1) 2 .
Hence,
d (O, P ) 2 = d (O, Q ) 2 ∴ d (O, P ) = d (O, Q ) .
2) Firstly, d (H2, M ) = d (H2, Q ). Secondly, △MH2O and △QH2O are
right triangles. Then, by applying Pythagoras, we get
d (O, M ) 2 = d (M, H2) 2 + d (O, H2) 2
and
d (O, Q ) 2 = d (Q, H2) 2 + d (O, H2) 2 .
Hence,
d (O, M ) 2 = d (O, Q ) 2 ∴ d (O, M ) = d (O, Q ) .
As d (O, P ) = d (O, Q ) and d (O, M ) = d (O, Q ) ∴ d (O, P ) = d (O, M ) .
By constructing the height from O over PM , we also get two right
triangles: △MH3O and △PH3O . By Pythagoras, we get

d (O, M ) 2 = d (M, H3) 2 + d (O, H3) 2

and
d (O, P ) 2 = d (P, H3) 2 + d (O, H3) 2 .
Hence,
d ( M , H 3 ) 2 = d (P, H3) 2 ∴ d (M, H3) = d ( P , H 3 ) .
Therefore, O lies on the perpendicular bisector of PM . Thus THE
PERPENDICULAR BISECTORS OF THE SIDES OF THE TRIANGLE MEET IN A POINT.

Chapter 5 - § 3 Page 8 out of 8