GCSE 3D Trigonometry &

Pythagoras
Dr J Frost (jfrost@tiffin.kingston.sch.uk)
@DrFrostMaths

Objectives:
• Determine lengths within 3D diagrams by repeated application of
Pythagoras’ theorem.
• Determine angles within 3D diagrams by use of trigonometry.

Last modified: 2nd January 2019

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RECAP :: Trigonometry & Pythagoras
𝟐𝟒
𝟐 𝟐? 𝟐
𝟐𝟓
𝒙
𝒙 +𝟐𝟒 =𝟐𝟓
𝟏𝟑
𝒙 62 °
13
𝒄𝒐𝒔 ( 𝟔𝟐°? ) =
𝒙
3D Pythagoras
The key here is identify some 2D triangle ‘floating’ in 3D space.
You will usually need to use Pythagoras twice.
Find the length of diagonal connecting two opposite corners of a unit cube.

Fro Tip: Leave this as

Using the base:
1 rather than as a
decimal. The advantage
is that if we square it
Using blue triangle:
√3 ? later, we get

√ 21
1 Your Go…
Find the length of diagonal connecting two opposite
corners of a unit cube.
12
𝟏𝟑
? 4
3
Further Example
Hint: You may want to use Pythagoras on
Determine the height of the square base (drawing the diagonal in)
this pyramid. 2
√2
Using Pythagoras to get the length
of the diagonal across the base:

√2 2
The length from the corner to the
?
centre of the base is
Then using blue triangle:

2
Your Go…

13 Half the base diagonal:

𝟏𝟐
?
5
8
6
Further Practice

[AQA FM Mock Set 4 Paper 2] A pyramid has

a square base of sides 6cm. Vertex , is
directly above the centre of the base, .
Work out the height of the pyramid.

?
Angles between lines and planes
A plane is:
A flat 2D surface (not necessary
horizontal). ?

When we want to find the angle

between a line and a plane, use
the “drop method” – imagine the
line is a pen which you drop onto
the plane. The angle you want is
between the original and dropped
𝜃 lines.

Click for
Fromanimation
Example
[Edexcel IGCSE June2011-4H Q22] The diagram
shows a cuboid .
= 5cm. = 7cm. = 3cm.
(a) Determine the length .
(b) Calculate the size of the angle between AG and
the plane . Give your answer correct to 1
decimal place.

‘drops’ onto , so we want

the angle :
?
Test Your Understanding
Determine the angle between the line and [Edexcel IGCSE Jan2013-3H Q21]
the base of the cube. The diagram shows a pyramid with a horizontal
rectangular base PQRS.
𝐵 PQ = 16 cm. QR = 10 cm. M is the midpoint of
the line PR. The vertex, T, is vertically above M.
MT = 15 cm.
Calculate the size of the angle between TP and
1 the base PQRS. Give your answer correct to 1
decimal place.

√ 21
𝐴1

Angle:
? ‘drops’ onto .

?
 Angles between two planes
This is more of a Further
Maths/Additional Maths
skill, but just in case… To find angle between two
lin planes:
eo
fg Use ‘line of greatest slope’*
re
at on one plane, before again
es
ts ‘dropping’ down.?
lo
pe * i.e. what direction would be ball roll down?

𝐵 Example:
6𝑐𝑚 Find the angle between
𝐶 the plane and the
l o pe
s horizontal plane.
te st 3𝑐𝑚
e a
g r
f
𝐴 lin
e o
𝜽 ?
𝐷
Two Plane Example
𝐸
Find the angle between the
2 planes and .

𝐷√ 2 𝐶
We earlier used Pythagoras to
establish the height of the

𝑂 √ 22 pyramid. Why would it be wrong

to use the angle ?
is not the line of greatest slope.
𝐴 ?
2 𝐵
𝐸

√2
?𝐷
Suitable diagram𝐶 ?− 1Solution
𝑂 1
𝜃 𝜃=tan ( 1 )=54.7 °
√2
From a ball would
roll down to the
𝐴 𝐵 midpoint of .
Test Your Understanding
AQA FM Jan 2013 Paper 2 Q23
The diagram shows a cuboid and a
pyramid . is directly above the centre
of .

a) Work out the angle between the

line and the plane . (Reminder:
‘Drop’ onto the plane)

b) Work out the angle between the

planes and .
?

?
 Exercise (on provided worksheet)

1 A cube has sides 8cm. Find: 2 For the following cuboid, find:
a) The length . ? a) The length . ?
b) The angle between and the b) The angle between and the
horizontal plane. ? horizontal plane.
?
𝐵 𝐵

8 6

𝐶 𝐶
8 5
𝐴 8 𝐴 4
Exercise (on provided worksheet)

3 𝐴 4 A radio tower 150m tall has two support cables

running 300m due East and some distance due
16 South, anchored at and . The angle of inclination
to the horizontal of the latter cable is as

√
𝐸
𝟖𝟕 𝐵
indicated.

13
24 150𝑚
𝐷 10 𝐶
a) Determine the height of the 300 𝑚 𝐴
pyramid.
50 °
?
b) Determine the angle between
the line and the base of the 𝐵
pyramid. a) Find the angle between the cable attached to

?
and the horizontal plane. ?
b) Find the distance between and . 325.3m
?
Exercise (on provided worksheet)

5 [AQA FM Mock Set 1 Paper 2] The diagram shows a vertical

mast, , 12 metres high. Points are on a horizontal plane.
Point is due West of .
a) Calculate
b) Calculate the bearing of from to the nearest degree.

a)

b)

?
Exercise (on provided worksheet)

6 7

[Edexcel GCSE June 2004 6H Q18] The diagram

represents a prism.
is a rectangle. is a square.
and are perpendicular to plane .
cm. cm. Angle . Angle . [Edexcel IGCSE May2013-4H Q22]
Calculate the size of the angle that the line makes The diagram shows a triangular prism with a
with the plane . horizontal rectangular base ABCD.
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place. AB = 10 cm. BC = 7 cm.
Solution: M is the midpoint of AD.
? The vertex T is vertically above M.
MT = 6 cm. Calculate the size of the angle
between TB and the base ABCD.
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.
Solution:
?
Exercise (on provided worksheet)
𝐼
8
𝐽 9 𝐸
𝐺 cm
𝐻 12𝑚
𝐹
𝐸
8𝑚 𝐷 𝐶
𝐷 𝑀
𝐶 𝑋 cm
7𝑚
𝐴 24 𝑚 𝐵 𝐴 cm 𝐵
A school buys a set of new ‘extra
comfort’ chairs with its seats pyramid in
Frost Manor is as pictured, with horizontally
shape. is at the centre of the base of the
level.
pyramid, and is the midpoint of .
a) Find the angle between the line and the
a) By considering the triangle , find the
plane . ?
b) Find the angle between the planes and .
length . 16cm
b) Hence determine the ? angle between
the triangle and the plane .
?
?
 Exercise (on provided worksheet)

10 [AQA FM June 2013 Paper 2] is a cuboid.
is the midpoint of . is the midpoint of .
a) Show that 7.5m
b) Work out the angle between the line
and the plane .
c) Work out the obtuse angle between
the planes and ?
.
11 [AQA FM Set 3 Paper 2] The diagram
shows part of a skate ramp,
modelled as a triangular prism.
represents horizontal ground. The
vertical rise of the ramp, , is 7 feet.
The distance feet.

You are given that

a) The gradient of is twice the gradient of . Write
down the distance . 48
b) Greg skates down the ramp along ? . How much
further would he travel if he had skated along .

?
Exercise (on provided worksheet)

12
𝐼 13

𝐺 22 3
𝐻 𝐹 5𝑚
𝐸 2𝑚 3
𝐷 4
𝐶
4𝑚 4
𝐴 8𝑚 𝐵
A ‘truncated pyramid’ is formed by
a) Determine the angle between the slicing off the top of a square-based
line and the plane . pyramid, as shown. The top and
bottom are two squares of sides 2 and
b) Determine the?angle between the 4 respectively and the slope height 3.
planes and . Find the angle between the sloped
faces with the bottom face.

? ?
Exercise (on provided worksheet)

14 (Knowledge of sine/cosine rules required) N

𝐶
[Edexcel GCSE Nov2007-6H Q25] The diagram
shows a tetrahedron.
AD is perpendicular to both AB and AC.
AB = 10 cm.
AC = 8 cm. 5
AD = 5 cm.
Angle BAC = 90°.
𝐷 4
Calculate the size of angle BDC.
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.
𝐵
Solution: 3
𝑋
𝐴
Determine the angle between the planes
and .