We are given a right angled triangle with one side of unknown length. The shortest side is 3cm long, and the longest side is 5cm long. Calculate the remaining side.

This is a classic question testing your understanding of Pythagoras' Theorem. This is an equation which shows us the relationship between the 3 sides of a right angled triangle : a2 + b2 = c2. a and b are the shorter sides, while c is the longest (the hypotenuse).For this question, we have a and c, but not b. If we subtract a from the left side of the equation and add it to the right side, we have b2 = c2 - a2. Now we can fill in our values: b2 = 52 - 32, or b2 = 16. Now we take the square root of both sides, and find that b = 4cm.

SM
Answered by Sean M. Maths tutor

3554 Views

See similar Maths GCSE tutors

Related Maths GCSE answers

All answers ▸

1 a. If x=6a+3 and a is 4 what is x? b. Make a the subject of the formula.


How do I solve an algebraic expression when the unknown is on both sides of the equals sign?


Solve the equation x^2-9x+20


Do I need to write down all of my working out?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning