Math Problem Statement

"Imagine you’re designing a rectangular soccer field. You measure the length as 40 meters and the width as 30 meters. You want to check if the diagonal distance across the field is exactly 50 meters. How would you use the Pythagorean Theorem to verify this? Explain your thinking step by step." answer this

Solution

To verify if the diagonal distance of the rectangular soccer field is exactly 50 meters using the Pythagorean Theorem, we can proceed step by step. Here's the process:

Step 1: Understand the Pythagorean Theorem

The Pythagorean Theorem states that in a right-angled triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (cc) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides (aa and bb):

c2=a2+b2c^2 = a^2 + b^2

In the case of the rectangular soccer field, the length and width of the field are the two sides of the right-angled triangle, and the diagonal is the hypotenuse.

Step 2: Label the sides of the rectangle

From the problem, we know the following:

  • Length of the field = 40 meters (a=40a = 40)
  • Width of the field = 30 meters (b=30b = 30)

You want to find the length of the diagonal (cc), and check if it’s 50 meters.

Step 3: Apply the Pythagorean Theorem

We will plug the values of the length and width into the Pythagorean Theorem to solve for the diagonal cc.

c2=a2+b2c^2 = a^2 + b^2

c2=402+302c^2 = 40^2 + 30^2

c2=1600+900c^2 = 1600 + 900

c2=2500c^2 = 2500

Now, take the square root of both sides to find cc:

c=2500c = \sqrt{2500}

c=50c = 50

Step 4: Conclusion

The diagonal distance across the field is exactly 50 meters, which confirms that the measurement you have is correct!


Would you like further details on how to apply this theorem to other shapes or scenarios? Let me know if you have more questions!

Related questions:

  1. How does the Pythagorean Theorem apply to different shapes, like triangles or parallelograms?
  2. How can the Pythagorean Theorem be used in real-world applications beyond geometry?
  3. Can we use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the diagonal of a rectangular prism (3D)?
  4. What happens if the rectangle is not a right-angled triangle? Can the theorem still be applied?
  5. What are some alternative methods to calculate the diagonal of a rectangle?

Tip: The Pythagorean Theorem is most commonly used for right-angled triangles, but it also helps in situations like determining the shortest distance between two points on a grid!

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Geometry
Right-Angled Triangles
Pythagorean Theorem

Formulas

c^2 = a^2 + b^2

Theorems

Pythagorean Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 7-9