Pythagoras – Finding C – Lesson

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 A task at the beginning of the lesson that reviews a skill required for
Starter
the learning.

Questions to assess students’ current understanding and to

Knowledge Check
consequently show progress.

Real-Life Example A ‘hook’ to raise interest and provide a concrete example.

Slides for a teacher to lead students – didactically or via questioning

Demonstration
– through a mathematical method.

Assessment For Learning Questions, used to assess students’

AFL Questions
competency for independent tasks/activities.

Plenary An opportunity for students to prove/evaluate their learning.

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 +1
15 Squar
e
0
÷2
Squar
e -6 x3 √
+5
5
√ ÷3 ?
9 ?
 Use a calculator to find the answers.
Answers Give your answers to 2 dp

42 = 2.852 =
3.52 = 5.32 + 5.12 =
22 + 52 = =
=
5 + 2.3 =
2 2

=
=
= =
=
 Use a calculator to find the answers.
Answers Give your answers to 2 dp

42 = 16 2.852 = 8.12
3.52 = 12.25 5.32 + 5.12 = 54.1
22 + 52 = 29 = 5.20
= 6.86
5 + 2.3 = 30.29
2 2

= 6.40
= 7.07
= 6.24 =
= 3.16
But! You cannot have a
square root of a negative number!
 30 March 2025

Pythagoras’ Theorem
Give your answers to 2 dp. KNOWLEDGE CHECK
1) Find the length, .
𝐶
6 cm 𝑎
4 cm

3 cm 𝐵 4 cm 2) Find the length, .

3) A football pitch is 97 m long and 42 m wide.

Bill walks from one corner to another around the outside.
Jane walks diagonally across the pitch.
How much further does Bill walk?
Give your answers to 2 dp. KNOWLEDGE CHECK
1) Find the length, .

6.71 cm 𝐶
6 cm 𝑎
4 cm

3 cm 𝐵 4 cm 2) Find the length, .

14.42 cm
3) A football pitch is 97 m long and 42 m wide.
Bill walks from one corner to another around the outside.
Jane walks diagonally across the pitch.
How much further does Bill walk? 33.30 m
 Jane’s cat is stuck on top of a wall!

How long does a ladder need to be

to reach the cat safely?
4m
 Jane’s cat is stuck on top of a wall!

How long does a ladder need to be

to reach the cat safely?
4m
What shape has been made?

What angle is here?

Is the ladder longer than 4 m?

Pythagoras of Samos

c. 570 – c. 495 BC

A Greek philosopher who taught

students about religion and politics,
and made mathematical discoveries.
Pythagoras’ Theorem
(only for right-angled triangles)

3cm
Area = 9 cm 2

5cm 5cm
Area = 16 cm 2
3cm
Area = 25 cm2
4cm
4cm
Pythagoras’ Theorem
(only for right-angled triangles)

Area = 9 cm2
c
a 5cm
Area = 16 cm 2
3cm
Area = 25 cm2
4cm
b
a +b =c
2 2 2
a & b are the shorter sides.
c is always the longest side.
(the hypotenuse)
 Perigal’s Dissection (1891)

A proof of Pythagoras’ Theorem.

a c
b

a +b =c
2 2 2
 Here is Triangle 1. Pythagoras’ Theorem
It is a right-angled triangle with
sides: 3 cm, 4 cm and 5 cm. We can draw a square on each
(not to scale) side of the triangle.

5 cm
3 cm
C
4 cm A
What is the area of square A? ___________
What is the area of square B? ___________
What is the area of square C? ___________ B

Continue the investigation…

Triangle 2 Area (cm2)

13 cm Triangle Square A Square B Square C
5 cm
1
12 cm
2
8 cm
3
Triangle 3
4
15 cm 17 cm
5

Triangle 5: sides of 12 cm, 35 cm and 37 cm.

Conclusion:
Triangle 4
25 cm What is the relationship
7 cm between the length of the sides
of a right-angled triangle?
24 cm
 Here is Triangle 1. Pythagoras’ Theorem
It is a right-angled triangle with
sides: 3 cm, 4 cm and 5 cm. We can draw a square on each
(not to scale) side of the triangle.

5 cm
3 cm
C
4 cm A
9 cm
What is the area of square A? ___________
2

16 cm
What is the area of square B? ___________2
25 cm
What is the area of square C? ___________2 B

Continue the investigation…

Triangle 2 Area (cm2)

13 cm Triangle Square A Square B Square C
5 cm
1 9 16 25
12 cm
2 25 144 169
8 cm
3 64 225 289
Triangle 3
4 49 576 625
15 cm 17 cm
5 144 1225 1369

Triangle 5: sides of 12 cm, 35 cm and 37 cm.

Conclusion:

Answers
Triangle 4
25 cm What is the relationship
7 cm between the length of the sides
of a right-angled triangle?
24 cm
 Here is Triangle 1. Pythagoras’ Theorem Here is Triangle 1. Pythagoras’ Theorem
It is a right-angled triangle with It is a right-angled triangle with
sides: 3 cm, 4 cm and 5 cm. We can draw a square on each sides: 3 cm, 4 cm and 5 cm. We can draw a square on each
(not to scale) side of the triangle. (not to scale) side of the triangle.

5 cm 5 cm
3 cm 3 cm
C C
4 cm A 4 cm A
What is the area of square A? ___________ What is the area of square A? ___________
What is the area of square B? ___________ What is the area of square B? ___________
What is the area of square C? ___________ B What is the area of square C? ___________ B

Continue the investigation… Continue the investigation…

Triangle 2 Area (cm2) Triangle 2 Area (cm2)

13 cm Triangle Square A Square B Square C 13 cm Triangle Square A Square B Square C
5 cm 5 cm
1 1
12 cm 12 cm
2 2
8 cm 8 cm
3 3
Triangle 3 Triangle 3
4 4
15 cm 17 cm 15 cm 17 cm
5 5

Triangle 5: sides of 12 cm, 35 cm and 37 cm. Triangle 5: sides of 12 cm, 35 cm and 37 cm.

Conclusion: Conclusion:
Triangle 4 Triangle 4
25 cm What is the relationship 25 cm What is the relationship
7 cm between the length of the sides 7 cm between the length of the sides
of a right-angled triangle? of a right-angled triangle?
24 cm 24 cm
Write down the letter of each hypotenuse.
(They are only in right-angled triangles!) R
Rearrange the letters to get an animal.
K T
O H
P E
D C
P N
A G W
A D E Q

P S
A T G
L S P E
C O B F N
M
Write down the letter of each hypotenuse.
(They are only in right-angled triangles!) R
Rearrange the letters to get an animal.
K T
O H
P E
D C
P N
A G W
A D E Q
Elephant!
P S
A T G
L S P E
C O B F N
M
 Example 1
1) Identify the hypotenuse
What is the length of ?
Give your answer to 2 d.p. and label
the sides.
2) Substitute the lengths
a 𝑥 into the formula.
4 cm c
3) Find c2
5 cm
Not to scale
b 4) Square root to find c.

a2 + b2 = c2
42 + 52 = 41
c2 = 41 We can leave the answer as
c= a surd: which is exact, or
= 6.40 cm round the number to 2 decimal places.
(2dp)
 Example 2
What is the length of ?
Give your answer to 2 d.p.

a 𝑥
4 cm c

7 cm
Not to scale
b
a2 + b2 = c2
42 + 72 = 65
c2 = 65
c= = 8.06 cm
(2dp)
 Example 2 Your Turn
What is the length of ? What is the length of ?
Give your answer to 2 d.p. Give your answer to 2 d.p.

a 𝑥
4 cm c a 𝑥c
3 cm

7 cm 9 cm
Not to scale
b Not to scale
b
a2 + b2 = c2 a2 + b2 = c2
42 + 72 = 65 32 + 92 = 90
c2 = 65 c2 = 90
c= = 8.06 cm c= = 9.49 cm
(2dp) (2dp)
 Example 2 Your Turn
What is the length of ? What is the length of ?
Give your answer to 2 d.p. Give your answer to 2 d.p.

a 𝑥 c𝑥 a
4 cm c
5 cm

7 cm 3 cm
Not to scale
b Not to scale
b
a2 + b2 = c2 a2 + b2 = c2
42 + 72 = 65 52 + 32 = 34
c2 = 65 c2 = 34
c= = 8.06 cm c= = 5.83 cm
(2dp) (2dp)
 Example 2 Your Turn
What is the length of ? What is the length of ?
Give your answer to 2 d.p. Give your answer to 2 d.p.

a 𝑥 5 cm a
4 cm c b 8 cm

7 cm 𝑥c
Not to scale
b Not to scale

a2 + b2 = c2 a2 + b2 = c2
42 + 72 = 65 82 + 52 = 89
c2 = 65 c2 = 89
c= = 8.06 cm c= = 9.43 cm
(2dp) (2dp)
 Example 2 Your Turn: Find the missing length ()
What is the length of ? Give your answer to 2 dp
Give your answer to 2 d.p. A
B

a 𝑥 5 cm 𝑥 3 cm
𝑥
4 cm c
6 cm 7 cm
C
7 cm 11.5 cm
D
Not to scale
b 𝑥
4.5 cm
a2 + b2 = c2 𝑥
4 cm 3.5 cm
4 + 7 = 65
2 2

E
𝑥
c = 65
2
6.4 m
c= = 8.06 cm 6m
(2dp) 7m
 Example 2 Your Turn: Find the missing length ()
What is the length of ? Give your answer to 2 dp
Give your answer to 2 d.p. A
B
= 7.81 cm
a 𝑥 5 cm 𝑥 3 cm
𝑥 cm
= 7.62

4 cm c
6 cm 7 cm
C
7 cm 11.5 cm
D
Not to scale
b 𝑥cm
= 5.70
4.5 cm
a2 + b2 = c2 𝑥 cm
= 12.18
4 cm 3.5 cm
4 + 7 = 65
2 2

E
𝑥 cm
= 11.22
c = 65
2
6.4 m
c= = 8.06 cm 6m
(2dp) 7m
 Using Pythagoras’ Theorem to Find the Hypotenuse
Remember!
1) Find the length of for each triangle. Answer to 2dp. a2 + b 2 = c2
a) b) c)
10 cm
𝑥 6 cm 4 cm 𝑥
𝑥 6.5 cm
9 cm 8 cm
= ______ = ______ = ______

d) e) f)
7.5 m 𝑥 8.3 cm
5m 6.1 cm
𝑥
2.2 cm 𝑥
= ______ = ______ = ______
2) Find the length of for each triangle but don’t use a calculator!
Keep your answer as a surd instead.
a) b) c)
𝑥 5 cm
8 cm
4 cm 𝑥
7 cm 5 cm
𝑥
2 cm
= ______ = ______ = ______
3) Sketch a diagram to help answer these questions. Answer to 2sf.
a) From his car, Mike walks 5 km north, and then 7 km east.
How far away is he from his car now?
________
b) A boat sails directly south for 20 km. Then the boat sails west for 35 km.
How far is the boat away from where it started?
________
c) A field is 100 m long and 75 m wide. Jack walks from one corner to
another around the outside. Jane walks directly across the field.
How much further does Jack walk? ________
 Using Pythagoras’ Theorem to Find the Hypotenuse
Remember!
1) Find the length of for each triangle. Answer to 2dp. a2 + b 2 = c2
a) b) c)
10 cm
𝑥 6 cm 4 cm 𝑥
𝑥 6.5 cm
9 cm 8 cm

10.82
= ______ cm 8.94 cm
= ______ 11.93
= ______cm

d) e) f)
7.5 m 𝑥 8.3 cm
5m 6.1 cm
𝑥
9.01 m 2.2 cm 𝑥
6.48 cm
= ______ = ______ 11.74
= ______ cm
2) Find the length of for each triangle but don’t use a calculator!
Keep your answer as a surd instead.
a) b) c)
𝑥 5 cm
8 cm
4 cm 𝑥
7 cm 5 cm
𝑥
2 cm
= ______cm = ______ cm = ______ cm
3) Sketch a diagram to help answer these questions. Answer to 2sf.
a) From his car, Mike walks 5 km north, and then 7 km east.
How far away is he from his car now?
8.6 km
________
b) A boat sails directly south for 20 km. Then the boat sails west for 35 km.
How far is the boat away from where it started?

Answers
40 km
________
c) A field is 100 m long and 75 m wide. Jack walks from one corner to
another around the outside. Jane walks directly across the field.
How much further does Jack walk? 50 m
________
Give your answers to 2 dp. KNOWLEDGE CHECK
1) Find the length, .
𝐶
6 cm 𝑎
4 cm

3 cm 𝐵 4 cm 2) Find the length, .

3) A football pitch is 97 m long and 42 m wide.

Bill walks from one corner to another around the outside.
Jane walks diagonally across the pitch.
How much further does Bill walk?
Give your answers to 2 dp. KNOWLEDGE CHECK
1) Find the length, .

6.71 cm 𝐶
6 cm 𝑎
4 cm

3 cm 𝐵 4 cm 2) Find the length, .

14.42 cm
3) A football pitch is 97 m long and 42 m wide.
Bill walks from one corner to another around the outside.
Jane walks diagonally across the pitch.
How much further does Bill walk? 33.30 m
 What is special about these triangles?

4m
12 m

3m 5m
 What is special about these triangles?

4m
12 m

3m 5m
These are called Pythagorean Triples
because they are right-angled triangles with all integer lengths.
Here are just a few others…
(3,4,5) (5,12,13) (7,24,25) (8,15,17) (9,40,41)
(11,60,61) (12,35,37) (13,84,85) (15,112,113) (20,21,29)
Check your success!

I can calculate the length of a hypotenuse using

Pythagoras’ Theorem.

I can use Pythagoras’ Theorem

without a calculator.

I can answer real-life questions using

Pythagoras’ Theorem.
Check your success!

I can calculate the length of a hypotenuse using

Pythagoras’ Theorem.

I can use Pythagoras’ Theorem

without a calculator.

I can answer real-life questions using

Pythagoras’ Theorem.
Write a text message to a friend describing…

What Pythagoras’
Theorem is.
 Questions?
Comments?
Suggestions?

…or have you found a mistake!?

Any feedback would be appreciated .

Please feel free to email:

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