3

Investigating
Pythagoras
Theorem
We Egyptians first discovered the {3,4,5}
right-angled triangle long before Pythagoras.

... I took the idea further and

put my name on it - long
before copyright laws!

c2 = a2 + b2

Chapter Contents
3:01 Investigating right-angled triangles
Investigation: Right-angled triangles
Investigation: Pythagoras Theorem
3:02 Using Pythagoras Theorem: Calculating
the hypotenuse
Investigation: Pythagorean triads
3:03 Using Pythagoras Theorem: Calculating
one of the short sides

MS41

MS41

Fun Spot: What happens when ducks fly

upside down?
3:04 Miscellaneous exercises involving
Pythagoras Theorem
MS41
Investigation: Pythagoras and speed
Maths Terms, Diagnostic Test, Revision Assignment,
Working Mathematically

MS41

Learning Outcomes
MS41

Uses formulae and Pythagoras Theorem in calculating perimeter and area of

circles and figures composed of rectangles and triangles.
Working Mathematically Stage 4
1 Questioning, 2 Applying Strategies, 3 Communicating, 4 Reasoning, 5 Reflecting

32

The Egyptians made use of the fact that a triangle that had sides 3 units, 4 units and 5 units in
length was always a right-angled triangle. However, it was a religious group led by the Greek
philosopher Pythagoras, around 550 BC, that discovered the relationship which exists between the
sides of all right-angled triangles.

3:01 | Investigating Right-angled

Outcome MS41

Triangles

As we investigate right-angled triangles we will call the side lengths a, b and c, where c will always
stand for the length of the longest side. We call the longest side of a right-angled triangle the
hypotenuse.

3 cm

4 cm

5 cm

The longest side of

a right angled triangle
is called the
hypotenuse.

b
The hypotenuse
is opposite the
right angle.
a

In triangle ABC (also called ABC), BC = 45 cm, CA = 6 cm and

AB is 75 cm.
This is also a {3, 4, 5} triangle if we let each unit be 15 cm.
The side lengths are: 3 15 cm, 4 15 cm and 5 15 cm.
Is ACB a right angle? Which side is the hypotenuse?

c
a

45 cm

6 cm

75 cm

3 15 cm

4 15 cm

5 15 cm

investiga

tion

Investigation 3:01A | Right-angled triangles

1 Take three lengths of rope or string 3 m, 4 m and 5 m in length.
Use them to form a triangle and measure the largest angle.
Is it a right angle?

CHAPTER 3 INVESTIGATING PYTHAGORAS THEOREM

3:01A

33

2 Measure 15 m up and 2 m along the bottom of a wall that

stands on flat ground. How long is the distance between
these two points? Use string to measure this distance.
Is the triangle a {3, 4, 5} triangle?

3 Draw or find some right-angled triangles in the school

grounds. Make the sides any length you wish. For each
triangle, measure the side lengths a, b and c (where c is
the longest side) and enter these in a table like the one
below. Make sure you include the three already in the table.
a

12

Exercise 3:01
1

Foundation Worksheet 3:01

Pythagoras Theorem A, MS41
Measure each side of
c
this triangle. Work
a
out a2, b2 and c2.
b
Does c2 = a2 + b2?

For each of the triangles drawn below, measure the

sides to the nearest millimetre and complete the table.
a

a2

b2

c2

a 2 + b2

I see! c is the
longest side of
each triangle.

b
c

d
c

e
b

c
b

34

In which of the triangles in Question 1 does c2 = a2 + b2? What type of triangles are they?

NEW SIGNPOST MATHEMATICS 8

A square has been drawn on each of the sides of these right-angled triangles.
Complete the tables for each triangle. Can you find a rule that links a, b and c?

A3

A3
5
3

A1

10

A1

A2

c
A2

A3

13
5

A1

A2

A3

12
A1

9
units2 units2 units2

b
A2

c
a

A1

A2

A3

A1

A2

A3

units2 units2 units2

units2 units2 units2

CHAPTER 3 INVESTIGATING PYTHAGORAS THEOREM

35

3c

A sequence of triangles has been formed with a

common base AB by gradually increasing the size of
B while keeping the side BC constant in length.
The vertex C moves along a circle to the positions
D, E and F.

4 cm

a Complete the table for the triangles named.

Triangle

AB2

(right side)2

(left side)2

ABC
ABD
ABE
ABF
b For what triangle does AB2 + (right side)2 = (left side)2?
c What is the size of B for the triangle in b?

inve

While answering the questions above you should have discovered, like the Pythagoreans,
the relationship between the sides of a right-angled triangle.

stigation

Investigation 3:01B | Pythagoras Theorem

Construct two identical squares as shown in the
diagram. Use any value you like for a and b
a
c
c
(eg
a = 6 cm, b = 8 cm). The coloured squares
b
b
are built on the three sides of a right-angled
triangle.
a Is the area of square I equal to the area of
a
b
a
square II?
a
b
b
a
b Do the triangles in square I take up the same
I
II
areas as the triangles in square II?
If the triangles are removed from squares I and II, are the remaining parts equal in area?
If the triangles are removed from square I, what is the area of the two remaining squares?
If the triangles are removed from square II, what is the area of the remaining square?
Does c2 = a2 + b2?
a

3:01B

c
d
e
f

Complete: In any right-angled triangle the square on the . . . . . . . . . side is equal to the
. . . . . . . . . of the squares on the other two . . . . . . . . .

36

NEW SIGNPOST MATHEMATICS 8

Pythagoras Theorem
In any right-angled triangle the square of the longest side is equal
to the sum of the squares of the two shorter sides.
For the triangle shown, the theorem can be written as:
c2 = a2 + b2
Converse
If a triangle obeys the equation above, it must be right-angled.

Class activity
The Pythagorean Theorem can also be illustrated by the following geometric method.
Construct a right-angled triangle and construct squares
on each side of the triangle as shown in the diagram.
We have seen that for all right-angled triangles
c 2 = a2 + b2 .
Since the areas of the squares constructed on the sides
are a2, b2 and c2 respectively, the theorem can be
restated as:

The square on the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of

the squares on the two smaller sides.

The larger square can be made from the two smaller

squares by dissecting the middle square and rearranging
these pieces with the small square. The dissection is
shown in the following diagram. Copy the dissection and find how the pieces can be arranged to
form the large square.
I hope youre
good at jigsaw
puzzles.
B

C
P

P is the centre of the square.

AB is drawn through P, parallel to the
hypotenuse.
CD is drawn through P, perpendicular
to the hypotenuse.

CHAPTER 3 INVESTIGATING PYTHAGORAS THEOREM

37

3:02 | Using Pythagoras Theorem:

Outcome MS41

Calculating the Hypotenuse

pr

quiz
ep

3:02

For the triangles given in 1 to 3, select the correct statements from A, B or C.

1 A 52 + 122 = 132
2 A 3+3=x
3 A 82 = 62 + x2
B (5 + 12)2 = 132
B 32 + 32 = x2
B x2 = 62 + 82
C 132 + 52 = 122
C (3 + 3)2 = x2
C x=6+8

13

3
x

12
3

5 If 42 = 16, then

4 Write Pythagoras Theorem for the

triangle given.

6 If 252 = 625, then

7 If

625 = . . . .?

25 = 5 , then 52 = . . . .?

8 32 + 42 = . . . .?

16 = . . . .?

36 = . . . .?

10 Can 2, 3 and 4 be the side lengths of a

right-angled triangle?
Pythagoras Theorem is used to calculate the lengths of the sides of right-angled triangles.
To calculate one side, the other two sides must be known.

worked examples
Calculate the length of the hypotenuse in each of the following
triangles.
1
2
5 cm
x cm

5 cm

3 cm
a cm

12 cm

Solutions
1 x2 = 52 + 122
= 25 + 144
= 169
x = 169
= 13
Hypotenuse
is 13 cm.

38

NEW SIGNPOST MATHEMATICS 8

2 a2 = 32 + 52
= 9 + 25
= 34
a = 34
a 58 (to 1 dec. pl.)
Hypotenuse
is 58 cm.

Important Notice
Numbers like 34 are
called surds. Surds do
not have exact decimal
equivalents, so we use
decimals to approximate
their value.

Numbers without
exact decimal
equivalents?
Why thats
ABSURD!

Exercise 3:02A (No calculator is needed for this exercise)

15 cm

15 cm

9m

am

hc
m

cc

8 cm

Use Pythagoras Theorem to write an equation that shows how the sides of each triangle are
related to each other.
a
b
c
d
10 cm
8 cm

pc

12 m
10 cm

Square

16 25

Use the table in Question 2 to find:

a
25
b
100
c
169

10 12 13 15 16 17 18 20 24 25 26 30

225

900

625

289

Find the length of the hypotenuse in each of the following. (Use the table in Question 2.)
a
b
c
d
6 cm
24 cm
x
yc

a cm

10 m

hm

8 cm

Number

7 cm

Complete the following table.

3m

24 m

4m

Find the length of the hypotenuse in each of the following. (Use the table below to evaluate the
surds correct to 1 decimal place.)
10

13

17

18

20

26

29

32

34

22

28

32

36

41

42

45

51

54

57

58

a cm

m
xc

5 cm

2m
2m

1 cm

2 cm

f
3 cm

2m
1m

cm

3m
2m

tm

hm

Approximate value

4 cm

Square root

4m

1m

Lm

3 cm

CHAPTER 3 INVESTIGATING PYTHAGORAS THEOREM

39

Use Pythagoras Theorem and the tables in Questions 2 and 5 to find the length of the diagonal
and the perimeter of each square or rectangle.
a
b
c
8 cm

4 cm
15 cm

3m

3m
4 cm

Use Pythagoras Theorem to find the value of pronumerals in each of the following. (You will
need to use the tables in Questions 2 and 5.)
a
b
c
3 cm

bm

am
13 m

y cm

6m

15 m

5m

4 cm

am

8m

15 m

Find the length of the interval AB in each of the following.

y
y
a
b
A
4 B

2
1

40

B
2 3 4x

A
3 2 1

a The foot of a ladder is 1 m from a vertical

wall. If the ladder reaches 5 m up the wall,
find the length of the ladder, to the
nearest centimetre.
b Two roads meet at right angles. One
person walks 6 km along one road while
another person walks 8 km along the
other road. How far apart are they?
c A radio mast is supported by three wires.
Each wire is attached to the mast 5 m
from the bottom. The wires meet the
ground at a point 2 m from the bottom
of the mast. Find the length of each wire
to the nearest tenth of a metre.

NEW SIGNPOST MATHEMATICS 8

y
5 B
4

2
1

2
x

A
2

Always draw a picture

of the problem.

8 10 12 x

Exercise 3:02B (Calculators are needed)

1

Use the calculator to simplify:

a 162
b 252
d
289
e
1681
g
96 (to 1 dec. pl.)

Foundation Worksheet 3:02

c 682
f
3364
h
148 (to 2 dec. pl.)

Pythagoras Theorem B, MS41

1
Here c2 = 22 + 32
c
= 13
2
c = 13
3
=.....

Use Pythagoras Theorem to calculate the length of the hypotenuse in each of the following.
a
b
c
d
16 cm
16 m
2
6

6m

cc

cm

12 cm

cm

12 m

cm

11 m

dm

c cm

45 m

12 cm

2 cm

bc

18 cm

3m

12 cm

Find the value of the pronumeral in each of the following, correct to 1 decimal place.
a
b
c
d
35 m
3m

3m

g
4

A square
root?

80 cm

fc

gm

em

10 m

50 cm

xc

15 cm
6 cm

8 cm

16 m

8 cm

8m

5 cm

dc

12 cm

cm

9 cm

Find the value of the pronumeral in each of the following. Give answers correct to one decimal
place where necessary.
20 m
a
b
c
d
6 cm

ym

e Find the perimeter of the kite in c.

CHAPTER 3 INVESTIGATING PYTHAGORAS THEOREM

41

inve

stigation

Investigation 3:02 | Pythagorean triads

3:02

A Pythagorean triad is a set of three numbers that obey Pythagoras Theorem.

If 52 + 122 = 132, then {5, 12, 13} is a Pythagorean triad.
1 Use algebra to show that 3x, 4x, 5x is a
Ah-ha! This means
Pythagorean triad.
that if {3, 4, 5}
Use this result to complete the table below.
a

3
6
9
...
...
36

4
8
12
16
36
...

5
...
...
20
45
6

{3

is a triad, then
2, 4
2, 5
is also a triad.

2 This table shows a special set of Pythagorean triads.

a Can you complete the next three lines of the table?
b The numbers in the table can be found using the
formula 2n + 1, 2n2 + 2n, 2n2 + 2n + 1.
Use this formula to find the triads starting with:
i 27
ii 51
iii 101

2}

3
5
7
9
11
13
15

4
12
24
40
...
...
...

5
13
25
41
...
...
...

There are many Pythagorean triads but often they are hard to
figure out. Of course, you can make more triads by simply
multiplying an existing one by a constant, such as:
{3, 4, 5} 2 {6, 8, 10}
The formula below, however, turns out triads by substituting odd numbers, starting at 3, for n.
n2 1
------------
2
means
plus or minus

Formula: n, n2 1, n2 + 1.
32 1
If we put in 3 we get --------------2
the triad is {3, 4, 5}.

11 2 1
If we put in 11 we get -----------------2
the triad is {11, 60, 61}.

11 2 + 1
------------------ = 61
2
11 2 1
----------------- = 60
2

32 + 1
--------------- = 5
2
32 1
-------------- = 4
2

Check!
112 + 602

= 121 + 3600
= 3721
Now 612
= 3721
So 112 + 602 = 612

3 Substitute further odd numbers for n and turn out some more triads.
Check that they actually work by testing them with Pythagoras Theorem.
4 Make a list of Pythagorean triads that are made up of three numbers which are all
less than 100.

42

NEW SIGNPOST MATHEMATICS 8

3:03 | Using Pythagoras Theorem:

Outcome MS41

Calculating One of the Short Sides

Pythagoras Theorem can also be used to calculate the length of either short side.
The examples below show how this is done.

worked examples
Find the value of x in each of the following.
1
2
m
13 c

xm

x cm

4m

8m

12 cm

Solutions
1
132 = 122 + x2
169 = 144 + x2
25 = x2
x = 25
=5

2 82 = x2 + 42
64 = x2 + 16
48 = x2
48 = x
x = 48
693 m
(correct to
2 dec. pl.)

If you want the

good mail, always
start the problems
with: (long side)2 =
(short side)2
(middle side)2.

Exercise 3:03A (No calculator is needed for this exercise)

13
m

cm

4 cm

15

5m
2

25 m

15

xm

cm

b cm

yc
m

Use Pythagoras Theorem to write an equation that shows how the sides of each triangle are
related to each other.
a
b
c
d
12 cm
a cm

Use the following table to answer the questions below.

Number

Square

16 25 36 49 64 81 100 144 169 225 256 289 324 400 576 625 676 900

144

400

10 12 13 15 16 17 18 20 24 25 26 30

324

64

81

CHAPTER 3 INVESTIGATING PYTHAGORAS THEOREM

43

Complete the working for each of the following. Use the table from Question 2 in all exercises.
a
132 = 122 + x2
b
302 = 242 + a2
24 cm
cm
169 = 144 + x2
900 = 576 + a2
13
2
x =........
a2 = . . . . . . . .
cm
30
12 cm
x= ........
a = ........
x=........
a=........

y cm

cm

pm
m

262 = y2 + 102
. . . . = y2 + . . . .
y2 = . . . .
y=....

26

a cm

x cm

102 = p2 + 82
. . . . = p2 + . . . .
p2 = . . . .
p=....

10 m

10 cm

Using the setting out shown in Question 3, find the values of the pronumerals in Question 1.

a The hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle is

20 cm long. If one of the short sides is
12 cm long, what is the length of the other side?
b The longest side of a right-angled triangle is
17 cm. If one of the other sides is 8 cm in length,
find the length of the third side.
c The two longer sides of a right-angled triangle
are 26 cm and 24 cm in length. How long is the
shortest side?
d In a right-angled triangle the longest side is
15 cm long. The shortest side is 9 cm long.
How long is the third side?

am

b cm

4m

m
13 c

5m

c
10

y cm

6 cm

d
10

cm

2 cm

Find the value of the pronumeral in each of the following.

a
b
c

8 cm

The hypotenuse is
the longest side.

h cm
5 cm

e Find the perimeter of the rectangle in b.

44

NEW SIGNPOST MATHEMATICS 8

fun spo

Fun Spot 3:03 | What happens when ducks fly upside down?
Answer each question and put the letter for that
question in the box above the correct answer.

3:03

The Pythagorean triad {3, 4, 5} has been

multiplied by a constant to produce these triads.
Find the missing number in each triad.

Exercise 3:03B (Calculators are needed)

Foundation Worksheet 3:03

Pythagoras Theorem, MS41
1
b2 + 52 = 72
5
b2 + 25 = 49
b2 = . . . .
b
7
b= ....
=....
2
a
2
a + 52 = 132
a2 + . . . . = . . . .
5
a2 = . . . .
13

Find the value of the pronumeral in each of the following.

a
b
36 m
3
3m

39 m

28 m

cm

a cm

50

y cm

pm

4m

xm

24

44

35

70

15

66

16

T 12, . . . ., 20
E . . . ., 2, 25
U 27, . . . ., 45

. . . ., 12, 15
18, . . . ., 3
42, 56, . . . .
375, . . . ., 625

36

A
P
Y
K

6, 8, . . . .
21, 28, . . . .
33, . . . ., 55
. . . ., 88, 11

10

Q
C
U
H

35 m

30 cm

am

8m

45 m

8 cm

38 m

xm

9c

y cm

Find the value of the pronumeral in each of the following, correct to 1 decimal place.
a
b
c
d
4m
32 m
x cm

3m
CHAPTER 3 INVESTIGATING PYTHAGORAS THEOREM

45

70 m

2m

65

ym

25

30 m

Find the value of the pronumeral in each of the following. Give answers correct to 1 decimal
place where necessary.
a
b
c
hm
Lm

104 m
25 m

a A ladder that is 13 m long is placed so that its foot is 3 m

from the base of a vertical wall. How far does the ladder
reach up the wall?

13 m

hm

3m

hm

b A piece of wire 20 m long has one end attached to the top

of a vertical building. The other end is fixed to the ground
at a distance of 5 m from the building. Find the height of
the building, correct to 2 decimal places.

20 m

5m

c A ship is 15 nautical miles (nm) from port. After sailing

5 nm due south, it is directly east of the port. How far is
the ship then from the port?

Port

5 nm

d nm

xm

24 m

Lm

d Find the value of h.

5m

6m

36 m

hm

13 m

15 m

hm

5m

c Find the values of

h and L.
m

b Calculate x and y.

hm

a The diagram shows a cone with a radius of 36 m and a slant height

of 6 m. Calculate the height, h, of the cone.

15 nm

96 m
768 m

ym
6

46

a The perimeter of a square is 16 cm. Find the length of its diagonal, correct to
1 decimal place.
b A rectangles length is twice its breadth. Find the length of its diagonal (to 1 dec. pl.) if its
perimeter is 90 cm.

NEW SIGNPOST MATHEMATICS 8

3:04 | Miscellaneous Exercises

Outcome MS41

Involving Pythagoras Theorem

The following exercise consists of a mixture of questions in which Pythagoras Theorem will need
to be used. In some questions you will be asked to calculate the length of the hypotenuse, while in
others you will need to calculate the length of the shorter side.

Exercise 3:04 (Calculators are needed)

Find the value of the pronumeral in each of the following.
a
b
c
128 cm

17

cm

xm

9m

96 cm

pc

a cm

45 m

bm

6m

12 m

15 c

8 cm
x cm

g
50 m
ym

36 m

25 cm

tm

48 m
48 m

a Fiona measured the two shorter sides of a right-angled triangle and

found them to be 16 cm and 30 cm. She then measured the longest side.
What should its length have been?
b Gino had an extension ladder that was 12 m long. If he placed the ladder
against a wall so that the foot was 2 m from the building, how far up the
wall would it reach, to the nearest centimetre?
c
Chiang and Su-lin start at A.
B Chiang
Chiang walks towards B while
Su-lin walks towards C.
How far apart are they when
Chiang has walked 4 km and
Su-lin
Su-lin 36 km? Answer correct
36 km
A
C
to 1 decimal place.
d Larry Bagnell needs to repair the guttering on his house.
From the diagram calculate the length of the smallest
ladder he needs to hire, if the ladder has to extend at least
1 m past the gutter.
e Angelika is building a barbecue on a rectangular concrete
slab. The slab is to be 24 m long and 18 m wide. What
should the length of the diagonal be?

Draw a
diagram if one
is not given.

72 m

1m

4 km

18 m

CHAPTER 3 INVESTIGATING PYTHAGORAS THEOREM

47

BILLABONG RD
3000 m

1600 m

Jumbuck Ave

Billabong Rd and Jumbuck Ave meet at right angles

as shown in the diagram. Peter Perfect wants to go
from A to B. What distance does he save by taking
the shortcut down Nobbs Lane?

s
bb

e
Lan

No

g Is a triangle with sides 36 m, 105 m and 111 m in length right-angled?

h

The diagram shows a gate. Calculate the length of timber that

would need to be bought to make the brace.

ce 12 m
bra
21 m

Two roads intersect at right angles. Two drivers, Bill and Bev, leave the intersection at the
same time. Bill drives down one road at an average speed of 60 km/h while Bev drives down
the other road at an average speed of 80 km/h. Find how far each person has driven in half
an hour and how far apart they are at that time.

Part of a roof truss is shown in the diagram.

Calculate the length of the rafter to the nearest
ten millimetres.

1485 mm

raft
e

r le

8100 mm

ngt

900

mm

2400 mm

k Jill and John decide to cover their bathroom wall with cedar
boards as shown in the diagram. What is the longest length
board that needs to be bought so that there would be no joins?

3300 mm

Two posts are 6 m tall and 8 m tall. If these posts are

10 m apart on level ground and a string is stretched from
the top of one post to the top of the other, find the length
of the string, to the nearest centimetre.

8m

6m
10 m

36 cm

x cm

c
45

7c

14

Use Pythagoras Theorem to find the values of the pronumerals in each of the following.
a
b
c
m
Start with
48
yc
m
m
c
xm
a triangle in
x
which two
sides are
42 cm
105 cm
y cm
48 cm
4m
known.
m

ym

48

NEW SIGNPOST MATHEMATICS 8

a Find the perpendicular distance from the corner of the

triangle to the opposite side if the side is 25 cm long.

b Find the length of the diagonal if the length of the

window is 48 cm and its breadth is 35 cm.

c The diameter of the cone in this hat is 18 cm. Its slant

height, s cm, is 21 cm. What is the height of the hat?

d The legs of this ladder are of equal length and are 1 metre
apart. The slant height of the ladder is 24 metres. How
high above the ground does the ladder reach?

c
15

x cm
12 cm

The figure is a triangular prism,

Find the value of x, correct to
2 decimal places.

y cm

5 cm

a
5 cm

6c

8c

The figure is a rectangular prism.

Find the value of y, correct to
2 decimal places.

CHAPTER 3 INVESTIGATING PYTHAGORAS THEOREM

49

inve

stigation

Investigation 3:04 | Pythagoras and speed

Wendy usually walks to the railway station along roads shown in the diagram below.
3:04

Paddock
C

Paddock
B
1200 m
Housing
(No shortcuts)
600 m

Paddock
A

350 m

STATION

500 m
Wendys house

40

12

60

14

30

0
15

20

13

50

NEW SIGNPOST MATHEMATICS 8

110

80 7
0

10

50

100
90

170 180

Maths terms 3

100

20

80

160

10
01

30

perpendicular
Meeting at right angles.
eg AB is perpendicular
to BC, ie AB BC

12

Pythagoras theorem
In any right-angled
triangle the square
on the hypotenuse is
equal to the sum of
the squares on the
other two sides.

0
13

15

hypotenuse
The longest side of a
right-angled triangle.

70

60
50

40

protractor
A geometrical
instrument used to
measure angles.

0
14

diagonal
A straight line that
crosses a polygon to
join two of its vertices.

10

Maths terms 3

rm
s te s

180 170 1
60

math

Recently, after sleeping in, she needed to get to the station in a hurry
and decided to take shortcuts through the paddocks. Wendy can run
at 10 km/h and walk at 5 km/h. If she has only 18 minutes before the
train leaves, should she:
i walk (arriving on time and unflustered)?
ii run (because she will be late otherwise)?
iii walk part of the way and run the rest?
iv change her plans (as she just cant make it)?
Explain your answer in sentences.

c2

= a 2 + b2

es
tic t t

diagnos

Diagnostic Test 3: | Investigating Pythagoras Theorem

Each section of the test has similar items that test a certain type of example.
Failure in more than one item will identify an area of weakness.
Each weakness should be treated by going back to the section listed.
These questions can be used to assess part of outcome NS41.
Section
3:01

1 State whether the given triangle is right-angled.

a
b
c

2 In each of the following, list the sides in order of length from shortest to
longest.
a
b
c
m

3 Use Pythagoras Theorem to write an equation that shows how the sides
of each triangle are related to each other.
a
b
c
8m
m

6m

3:02

42

6m

Lm

cm

3:01

xm

3m

5 Use Pythagoras Theorem to write an equation that shows how the sides
of each triangle are related to each other.
a
b
c
am
4m
20 m

3:03

8m

17

a cm

3:02

4 Find the length of the unknown side in each of the triangles in Question 3.

25 m

3:04

34
m

m
yc

am

42 m

7 Find the length of the unknown side in each of the triangles below.
a
b
c
36 cm
15 cm

3:03

30 m

6 Find the length of the unknown side in each of the triangles in Question 5.

56 m

xm

CHAPTER 3 INVESTIGATING PYTHAGORAS THEOREM

51

assi

men
gn t

Chapter 3 | Revision Assignment

1

3A

C
D

a Name solid A.
b Name solid B.
c Calculate the number of faces, edges
and vertices in solid B.
d Name the cross-sectional shape of the
solid formed by placing solid A on top
of solid B.
2 The nets of three solids are given below.
Name the solid formed from each net.
a

a What type of angle is ABC?

b What type of angle is BAC?
c By estimating, choose the angle that is
closest in size to a right angle.
d Name an obtuse-angled isosceles
triangle.
5 Change these Roman numerals into our
own numerals.
a XLVIII
b CIX
c MDLXV
d MCMXCIII
6 Complete the following conversions.
a 5 m = mm
b 25 m = cm
c 52 g = mg
d 560 kg = t
e 3300 mL = L
7 A property is rectangular in shape. It is
110 m long and 22 m wide. Calculate the
cost of fencing the block if fencing is
$8.40 a metre.
8 Write each time below as a digital time.
a 20 past 11 in the morning
b a quarter to 8 in the evening
9 Calculate the areas of the figures shown.
a
25 m

8m

42 mm
68 mm

c
21 m

65 m

3 Classify the following angles as acute,

obtuse or reflex.
a 78
b 155
c 98
d 185
e 278
4m

52

NEW SIGNPOST MATHEMATICS 8

10 Calculate the volume of the figures shown.

a
b

12 cm

3 cm

45

1 cm

cm

3 cm
5 cm

3 cm

assignm

1 Eight dots are drawn on a page. If no three

dots are in the same straight line, how
many intervals can be drawn that join any
two dots?
2 Fred Shipshape built a sailing ship to mark
Australias 200th anniversary of European
settlement. He wanted to use two words in
naming it, but both words could not be the
same. How many names were possible if
the first name had to be either Endeavour,
Australia, National,
Young or Shining,
and the second
name had to
be either
Endeavour,
Australia, Pride,
Supreme, Courage or Star?

ent

Chapter 3 | Working Mathematically

3 Five times Kates age plus twice Sarahs age
is equal to 25. List the possible ages for
these two girls.

3B

4 On a digital clock, how many times

between 12 noon and 12 midnight will the
readout be a palindromic number? (See
Appendix A:02D, for a definition of
palindromic numbers.)
5 How many integers are less than 5 units
from the number two? (An integer is any
whole number, positive, negative or zero.)
6 Drinks cost $1.20 each and ice-creams 80c
each. The drinks and ice-creams for our
group cost $12.40. If 12 items were
purchased, how many drinks did we buy?

1 Number properties
2 Language and symbols
3 Special sets of numbers

3:04 Pythagorean triads

Pythagoras Theorem

CHAPTER 3 INVESTIGATING PYTHAGORAS THEOREM

53