Math Problem Statement

A rectangular brick wall is 9 m wide and 1 m tall. Use Pythagoras' theorem to work out the distance between diagonally opposite corners. Give your answer to 1 d.p.

Solution

To solve this problem, we can use Pythagoras' theorem to find the diagonal distance between the opposite corners of the rectangular brick wall.

Given:

  • Width (aa) = 9 m
  • Height (bb) = 1 m

Pythagoras' theorem states: c2=a2+b2c^2 = a^2 + b^2 where cc is the hypotenuse (diagonal), aa is the width, and bb is the height.

Step-by-step calculation:

  1. Substitute the values into the formula: c2=92+12c^2 = 9^2 + 1^2
  2. Simplify the squares: c2=81+1=82c^2 = 81 + 1 = 82
  3. Take the square root of both sides to find cc: c=829.1m (to 1 decimal place).c = \sqrt{82} \approx 9.1 \, \text{m (to 1 decimal place)}.

Final Answer:

The diagonal distance is 9.1 m.


Would you like a detailed explanation of why Pythagoras' theorem applies here?
Here are 5 related questions to explore this concept further:

  1. How can Pythagoras' theorem be used in 3D shapes?
  2. If the wall's height was doubled, what would the new diagonal length be?
  3. What are the other uses of the Pythagorean theorem in real life?
  4. Can we calculate the diagonal if the dimensions were given in different units (e.g., cm)?
  5. What happens if the wall is not rectangular but slanted?

Tip:

Always remember that Pythagoras' theorem only works in right-angled triangles!

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Geometry
Right-angled Triangles
Pythagoras' Theorem

Formulas

c^2 = a^2 + b^2

Theorems

Pythagoras' Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 6-8