Mall Magic:

An application of the Pythagorean

Theorem
By: McKenzie Brown
The Task
Your task is to create a mall, a football
stadium, or an airport using what you
know about the Pythagorean Theorem.
This project may be presented on a poster
board, a brochure. Any other forms of
presentation must be approved by me.

Shopping Spree!
Directions: You will be designing your very
own mall. You can put anything inside of
your mall. The required items for the mall
are at least 15 stores, and two stair cases
or escalators. 10 of the 15 stores should
be 12 feet long and have a diagonal length
of 15 feet. Find the width. The remaining 5
should be 14 feet long and have a diagonal
length of 50. Find the width. The
staircase/escalator should be 10 feet tall,
and 15 feet from the wall. What is
distance that escalator travels?
Objective
This is McKenzie Brown. She is an 8th grade
math student in Ms. Stolze’sclass.
In this project she will explore one of the
many ways that the Pythagorean Theorem
can be used.
Small Store:
First I will look at the size of the 10 stores
that are 12 feet long and have a diagonal
length of 15 feet.

A² + B² = C²
12² + B² = 15²
C=15 144 + B² = 225
B² = 81
A=12
B =√ 81
B=9

B=?
Results:
So our store should be 12 feet by 9 feet.

15 ft.

12
ft.

9 ft.
 Big Store:
Next, I will look at the 5 stores that are 14
feet long and have a diagonal length of 50.

C=50

A=14

B=?
 Results:
The size of these 5 stores should be 14 feet by
48 feet.


50 ft.
14 ft.

48 ft.
 Escalator:
Lastly, I will find out the length of the
hypotenuse for the escalator that is 10 feet
tall, and starts 15 feet from the wall.

C=?
A=10

B=15
Results:
So our escalator travels 18.03 feet from top
to bottom.

Voila!
Bed, Macy’s
Bath
and
Beyo
nd

Kohls
JC
Pe
nn
ey

Belk
This is my mall!
Reflection
By building my own shopping mall I have
learned how the Pythagorean Theorem can
be used after I get out of school. I had a lot
of fun making my very own mall.