Friday Afternoon Lifesavers – the Teacher’s Best Friend; Part 3 Solution, Pythagorean Theorem Cut-Up

By Bill Lombard on 4 February, 2009

pythgorean theorem cut up and solution Friday Afternoon Lifesavers the Teacher’s Best Friend; Part 3 Solution, Pythagorean Theorem Cut Up

Shown in the graphic above is the solution to the Pythagorean Theorem Cut-Up problem posed last week as a Friday Afternoon Lifesaver. This puzzle gives teachers a chance to talk about the theorem and its applications. After printing the puzzle, you can talk about how the five pieces must fit so that one edge of the new square must align with the hypotenuse of the original triangle. By measuring accurately you can find a nice application of a2 + b2 = c2.

Research shows that spatial reasoning puzzles build good problem-solving skills. Hope you and your students had fun with this one!

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mr ls cursive signature Friday Afternoon Lifesavers the Teacher’s Best Friend; Part 3 Solution, Pythagorean Theorem Cut Up

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Posted in | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Responses

5 responses to “Friday Afternoon Lifesavers – the Teacher’s Best Friend; Part 3 Solution, Pythagorean Theorem Cut-Up”

  1. alex
    alex 1 May, 2009 at 8:39 pm |

    sorry didn’t see the answer before i asked the ?

  2. Joey
    Joey 9 March, 2011 at 7:05 pm |

    I am sorry, I have one question that might sound offensive. How is this fun? I did not experience any fun in the 2 hours I spent piecing these together. I do not mean to insult you, but this is not a math problem, which are fun and engaging.

  3. Bill Lombard
    Bill Lombard 12 March, 2011 at 3:59 pm |

    Hi Joey,
    No offense taken. Some of the most famous problems in mathematics took quite awhile to solve, so two hours may sound like a lot, but in solving this puzzle I’m sure you did better than some others who may have given up.
    - Mr. L

  4. Sarah
    Sarah 7 April, 2011 at 8:15 am |

    This activity was very engaging to my 7th and 8th grade students! Some were quick to become frustrated, but others were consumed. Thanks for a fun way to help us study the Pythagorean Theorem.

  5. Bill Lombard
    Bill Lombard 7 April, 2011 at 4:31 pm |

    Hi Sarah,
    When Friday rolls around (I’m writing this on Thursday p.m.) we all could use some help. Thanks for sharing your experience with my readers.
    Take care,
    Bill (Mr. L.)

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