AQA · Mathematics · 8300

GCSE Maths: Pythagoras' theorem

Right-angled triangles, the hypotenuse, and a² + b² = c².

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  1. What is the longest side of a right-angled triangle called?

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    The hypotenuse.

  2. Where is the hypotenuse located in a right-angled triangle?

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    Opposite the right angle.

  3. What is the algebraic form of Pythagoras' theorem?

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    a² + b² = c², where a and b are the shorter sides and c is the hypotenuse.

  4. For what type of triangle does Pythagoras' theorem work?

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    Right-angled triangles only (triangles with exactly one 90-degree angle).

  5. How do you find the hypotenuse when the two shorter sides are known?

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    Square both shorter sides, add them together, and take the square root of the result.

  6. In a right-angled triangle with sides 3 and 4, what is the hypotenuse?

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    5. (Because 3² + 4² = 9 + 16 = 25, so c = √25 = 5)

  7. How do you rearrange Pythagoras' theorem to find a shorter side?

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    a² = c² − b² (subtract the square of the known short side from the square of the hypotenuse).

  8. What is a Pythagorean triple?

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    A set of whole numbers that satisfy Pythagoras' theorem.

  9. How is Pythagoras' theorem used to find the distance between two points on a coordinate grid?

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    By treating the horizontal and vertical gaps as the two shorter sides of a right-angled triangle.

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