S2

Pythagorean Theorem Word Problems

Solve the word problems. Round your answer to the nearest tenth.
1) Anna was designing a flag for the pirate ship model. She used a fabric of length 5 inches
and width 3 inches. What was the diagonal length of the flag?
?

3 in
5 in

2) Felix, an engineer, was assigned the task of constructing a bridge with several pillars. The
first pillar built was 24 feet tall. A ramp was constructed from the road to the pillar. If the
length of the ramp was 40 feet, how far was the foot of the ramp from the foot of the pillar?

40
ft

24 ft
?

3) The playing area on a billiard table is 88 inches long and 44 inches wide. What is the
diagonal length of the playing area?

44 in
?

88 in

4) A rope of length 50 feet is tied to a pole of height 30 feet. If the rope was stretched out to
its full length, what’s the distance between the foot of the pole and the end of the rope?

50
30 ft

ft

5) Edmon was building the roof of his pet’s doghouse. The two slopes of the roof, each
measuring 25 inches, form a right triangle. What is the length of the longest side?
in
25

25
in

Teaching Resources @ www.tutoringhour.com

 S2

Pythagorean Theorem Word Problems Answer Key

Solve the word problems. Round your answer to the nearest tenth.
1) Anna was designing a flag for the pirate ship model. She used a fabric of length 5 inches
and width 3 inches. What was the diagonal length of the flag?
?

3 in
5 in

5.8 inches

2) Felix, an engineer, was assigned the task of constructing a bridge with several pillars. The
first pillar built was 24 feet tall. A ramp was constructed from the road to the pillar. If the
length of the ramp was 40 feet, how far was the foot of the ramp from the foot of the pillar?

40
ft

24 ft
32 feet
?

3) The playing area on a billiard table is 88 inches long and 44 inches wide. What is the
diagonal length of the playing area?

44 in
?

88 in
98.4 inches

4) A rope of length 50 feet is tied to a pole of height 30 feet. If the rope was stretched out to
its full length, what’s the distance between the foot of the pole and the end of the rope?

50
30 ft

ft

40 feet ?

5) Edmon was building the roof of his pet’s doghouse. The two slopes of the roof, each
measuring 25 inches, form a right triangle. What is the length of the longest side?
in
25

25
in

35.5 inches

Teaching Resources @ www.tutoringhour.com