Pythagorean Theorem Study Guide

Name: Date:

Learning Goal 1 $5
Identify the hypotenuse and the legs of a right angle triangle and demonstrate an
understanding of the relationship between them. Explain that this relationship is only
true for right angles.

1. On the following right angle triangle label the: hypotenuse, legs, right angle, side a, side
b, and side c.

2. State the Pythagorean theorem. Explain and show why it only applies to right angle
triangles. Show your thinking using words, diagrams, and or/models (manipulatives).

3. Explain a scenario where Pythagorean theorem might be useful.

Learning Goal 2: $5
Solve a problem that involves determining the measure of the third side of a right
angle triangle given the measures of the other two sides.

4. Use the Pythagorean relationship to determine the missing side length of the following
right angle triangles. Give your answers to two decimal places. Show all of your work.

a) b)
?
18cm ?
12mm
13mm
24cm

c) d)
1.2m

12m ?
? 5.7m

10m

5. Find the height of a triangle with a base of 4cm and a hypotenuse of 11 cm. Round to
the nearest tenth of a centimeter. Show your work.
Learning Goal 3: $5
Determine whether a triangle is a right angle triangle by applying Pythagorean
theorem.

6. Is the following a right angle triangle? Show your work.

6cm

5cm 8cm

7. A triangle has legs measuring 8m, 15m and a hypotenuse of 17m. Is this a right angle
triangle? Show your work.

8. Draw a triangle below. Use Pythagorean theorem to determine if it is a right angle

triangle.
Learning Goal 4: $5
Apply Pythagorean theorem to solve a word problem.

9. A baseball diamond is a square with side length about 27m. The player throws the ball
from second base to home plate. How far did the player throw the ball? Give your
answer to two decimal places.

10. Jose leaves his home and walks 7km west, then 3km south. How far is he from his
house?

11. Sandi wants to clean the eavestroughs on her house. Her house is 10ft tall and she has a
ladder that is 26ft ladder long. How far should she place the base of the ladder from the
house so that the ladder reaches 3ft over the eavestrough.