Real-World Pythagorean Problems for 8th Graders

A ladder is leaning against a wall. The foot of the ladder is 6 feet away from the wall, and the ladder reaches a height of 8 feet on the wall. How long is the ladder?

• 12 feet

• 8 feet

• 10 feet

• 14 feet

A rectangular park has a length of 30 meters and a width of 40 meters. What is the length of the diagonal path that runs from one corner of the park to the opposite corner?

• 55 meters

• 60 meters

• 50 meters

• 45 meters

A right triangle has one leg measuring 9 cm and the other leg measuring 12 cm. What is the length of the hypotenuse?

• 17 cm

• 15 cm

• 13 cm

• 10 cm

A baseball diamond is a square with each side measuring 90 feet. What is the distance from home plate to second base?

• 90√2 feet

• 180 feet

• 45√2 feet

• 90 feet

A 15-foot tall tree casts a shadow that is 20 feet long. If you were to walk directly from the top of the tree to the end of the shadow, how far would you walk?

• 20 feet

• 30 feet

• 25 feet

• 15 feet

A right triangle has a hypotenuse of 13 cm and one leg measuring 5 cm. What is the length of the other leg?

• 12 cm

• 6 cm

• 8 cm

• 10 cm

A ramp is built to help wheelchair access. If the ramp rises 4 feet over a horizontal distance of 3 feet, what is the length of the ramp?

• 3 feet

• 5 feet

• 4 feet

• 6 feet

A kite is flying at a height of 30 meters and is 40 meters away from the point directly below it on the ground. How long is the string of the kite?

• 60 meters

• 50 meters

• 40 meters

• 30 meters

A swimming pool is rectangular, measuring 25 meters in length and 10 meters in width. What is the length of the diagonal across the pool?

• 24 meters

• 20 meters

• 26.93 meters

• 30 meters

A right triangle has a hypotenuse of 10 inches and one leg measuring 6 inches. What is the length of the other leg?

• 5 inches

• 8 inches

• 7 inches

• 9 inches