GCSE Maths Practice: pythagoras-theorem

Question 1 of 10

This question asks students to find the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle using Pythagoras' Theorem.

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\( \begin{array}{l}\text{A right-angled triangle has sides 5 cm and 12 cm.}\\ \text{Find the length of the hypotenuse.}\end{array} \)

Choose one option:

Hypotenuse = √(side1² + side2²). Check units.

Pythagoras' Theorem states that in a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides. For a triangle with sides 5 cm and 12 cm, calculate 5^2 + 12^2 = 25 + 144 = 169. Then take the square root to find the hypotenuse: √169 = 13 cm. This method is widely applicable in geometry problems, including calculating diagonals of rectangles, construction tasks, and solving real-world right-angled triangle problems. Practising these calculations ensures accuracy and builds confidence for GCSE questions.