Shape 

Copyright David & Cynthia Thomas, 2009

 

Sides, Angles, Interior Lines & Points--Directed Activity: Pythagorean Triples

 

Focus

Sets of three integers satisfying the Pythagorean relationship.

Technologies

·        Paper & pencil

·        Generating Pythagorean Triples http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/activity/triples/

Background

A Pythagorean triple is a set of three positive integers that satisfy the Pythagorean Theorem: 3 - 4 - 5; 5 - 12 - 13; and 7 - 24 - 25, for example.

Tasks

·        Find a third number that forms a Pythagorean triple with

o       12 - 35 - ?

o       33 - 56- ?

o       20 - ? - 29

o       ? - 99 - 101 

·        Find three additional Pythagorean triples.