Pythagoras and The Pythagorean Theorem: Grade 8-9 Lesson by Lindsay Kallish

Pythagoras and the
Pythagorean
Theorem
Grade 8-9 Lesson
By Lindsay Kallish
Biography of Pythagoras
•Pythagoras was a Greek mathematician and a philosopher,
but was best known for his Pythagorean Theorem.
•He was born around 572 B.C. on the island of Samos.
• For about 22 years, Pythagoras spent time traveling though

Egypt and Babylonia to educate himself.
•At about 530 B.C., he settled in a Greek town in southern

Italy called Crotona.
•Pythagoras formed a brotherhood that was an exclusive

society devoted to moral, political and social life. This society
was known as Pythagoreans.
Biography of Pythagoras
• The Pythagorean School excelled in many subjects,
such as music, medicine and mathematics.
• In the society, members were known as

mathematikoi.
• History tells us that this theorem has been

introduced through drawings, texts, legends, and
stories from Babylon, Egypt, and China, dating
back to 1800-1500 B.C.
• Unfortunately, no one is sure who the true founder

of the Pythagorean Theorem is. But it does seem
certain through many history books that some time
in the sixth century B.C., Pythagoras derives a
proof for the Pythagorean Theorem.
Venn Diagram Homework
Assignment
• http://www.arcytech.org/java/pythagoras/history.html
• http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Pythag
oras.html
1st Website
2nd Website
Can Any Three Numbers Make A
Triangle????
Side lengths (cm) Area of square (cm²) Sum of the areas Sum of the areas of Angle name of the
of smaller smaller squares triangle
squares (cm²) (cm²)
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5

a b c a² b² c² a² + b² a² +b² ? c² Acute, right,
(>,<,=) obtuse
3 5 7 9 25 49 34 < obtuse
3 4 5 9 16 25 25 = right
Write a sentence to describe the relationship between the sum of the areas
of smaller and middle size squares compared to the area of the largest
squares for:
1) An acute triangle 2) A right triangle 3) An obtuse triangle

The Pythagorean Theorem
• The sum of the squares of each
leg of a right angled triangle
equals to the square of the
hypotenuse
a² + b² = c²
Many Proofs of the Pythagorean
Theorem
Euclidean Proof
• First of all, ΔABF = ΔAEC by SAS. This is because, AE
= AB, AF = AC, and
BAF = BAC + CAF = CAB + BAE = CAE.
• ΔABF has base AF and the altitude from B equal to AC.
Its area therefore equals half that of square on the side
AC.
• On the other hand, ΔAEC has AE and the altitude from C
equal to AM, where M is the point of intersection of AB
with the line CL parallel to AE.
• Thus the area of ΔAEC equals half that of the rectangle
AELM. Which says that the area AC² of the square on
side AC equals the area of the rectangle AELM.
• Similarly, the are BC² of the square on side BC equals
that of rectangle BMLD. Finally, the two rectangles
AELM and BMLD make up the square on the hypotenuse
AB.
• QED
• http://www.sunsite.ubc.ca/LivingMathematics/V001N01/UBCEx
amples/Pythagoras/pythagoras.html
Theorem
Indian Proof
• Area of the original square is A = c²
• Looking at the first figure, the area of the large

triangles is 4 (1/2)ab
• The area of the inner square is (b-a) ²
• Therefore the area of the original square is

A=4(1/2)ab + (b-a) ²
• This equation can be worked out as 2ab + b² -

2ab + a² = b² + a²
• Since the square has the same area no matter

how you find it, we conclude that
A = c² = a² + b²
Theorem
• Throughout many texts, there are about 400
possible proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem
known today.
• It is not a wonder that there is an abundance of

proofs due to the fact that there are numerous
claims of different authors to this significant
geometric formula.
• Specifically looking at the Pythagorean Theorem,

this unique mathematical discovery proves that
there is a limitless amount of possibilities of
algebraic and geometric associations with the
single theorem.
• http://www.cut-the-
knot.org/pythagoras/index.shtml
Connection to Technology
• Geometer’s SketchPad
– Students can see the Pythagorean
Theorem work using special
triangles with 45-45-90 degree
angles and 30-60-90 degree angles
Pythagoras Board Game
Rules:
• To begin, roll 2 dice. The person with the highest sum goes first.
• To move on the board, roll both dice. Substitute the numbers on

the dice into the Pythagorean Theorem for the lengths of the legs
to find the value of the length of the hypotenuse.
• Using the Pythagorean Theorem a²+b²=c², a player moves around

the board a distance that is the integral part of c.
• For example, if a 1 and a 2 were rolled, 1²+2²=c²; 1+4=c²; 5=c²;

Since c = √5 or approximately 2.236, the play moves two spaces.
Always round the value down.
• When the player lands on a ‘?’ space, a question card is drawn. If

the player answers the question correctly, he or she can roll one
die and advance the resulting number of places.
• Each player must go around the board twice to complete the

game. A play must answer a ‘?’ card correctly to complete the
game and become a Pythagorean
Pythagoras Board Game
What are the lengths of If you hiked 3 km The square of the Find the missing
the legs of a 30-60-90 west and the 4 km ______ of a right member of the
degree triangle with a north, how far are triangle equals the Pythagorean triple (7,
hypotenuse of length you from your sum of the squared of __,, 25).
10? starting point? the lengths of the two Answer: 24
Answer: 5 and 5√3 Answer: 5 km legs.
Answer: hypotenuse
What is the length of Using a²+b²=c, find True or false? Have the person to your
the legs in a 45-45-90 b if c = 10 and a = Pythagoras lives circa left pick two numbers
degree right triangle 6 A.D. 500 for the legs of a right
with hypotenuse of Answer: b=8² Answer: false (500 triangle. Compute the
length √2? B.C.) hypotenuse
Answer: 1
Can an isosceles Pythagoras was of Is (7, 8, 11) a How do you spell

triangle be a right what nationality? Pythagorean triple? Pythagoras?
triangle? Answer: Greek Answer: no
Answer: yes
The Pythagorean What is the name of True or false? True or false?
Theorem is applicable the school that Pythagoras Pythagoras formulated
for what type of Pythagoras considered number to the only proof of the
triangle? founded? be the basis of Pythagorean Theorem?
Answer: a right triangle Answer: The creation? Answer: false (there are
Pythagorean School Answer: true about 400 possible
proofs)
References:
DeLacy, E. A. (1963). Euclid and geometry (2nd ed.).
USA: Franklin Watts, Inc.
Ericksen, D., Stasiuk, J., & Frank, M. (1995). Bringing
pythagoras to life. The Mathematics Teacher,
88(9), 744.
Gow, J. (1968). A short story of greek mathematics.
New York: Chelsea Publishing Company.
Katz, V. (1993). A history of mathematics (2nd ed.).
USA: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.
Swetz, F. J., & Kao, T. I. (1977). Was pythagoras
chinese? an examination of right triangle theory in
ancient china. USA: The Pennsylvania State
University.
Veljan, D. (2000). The 2500-year-old pythagorean
theorem. Mathematics Magazine, 73(4), 259.

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Pythagoras and the

•He was born around 572 B.C. on the island of Samos.

• For about 22 years, Pythagoras spent time traveling though

•At about 530 B.C., he settled in a Greek town in southern

•Pythagoras formed a brotherhood that was an exclusive

• In the society, members were known as

• History tells us that this theorem has been

• Unfortunately, no one is sure who the true founder

Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5

1) An acute triangle 2) A right triangle 3) An obtuse triangle

• Looking at the first figure, the area of the large

• The area of the inner square is (b-a) ²

• Therefore the area of the original square is

• This equation can be worked out as 2ab + b² -

• Since the square has the same area no matter

• It is not a wonder that there is an abundance of

• Specifically looking at the Pythagorean Theorem,

• To move on the board, roll both dice. Substitute the numbers on

• Using the Pythagorean Theorem a²+b²=c², a player moves around

• For example, if a 1 and a 2 were rolled, 1²+2²=c²; 1+4=c²; 5=c²;

• When the player lands on a ‘?’ space, a question card is drawn. If

• Each player must go around the board twice to complete the

Can an isosceles Pythagoras was of Is (7, 8, 11) a How do you spell

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