Chapter 13ICSE Class 9 Maths100% Free

Pythagoras Theorem Class 9 ICSE Important Questions with Answers

The 14 questions below are Pythagoras Theorem Class 9 ICSE important questions, each with a full step-by-step answer: extra questions beyond the textbook exercises, covering 5 topics of ICSE Class 9 Maths in the question formats used in the exam.

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Reviewed by Classmate AI Team · 16 October 2026

Last updated 25 October 2026

14
Questions
5
Topics
3
Key concepts
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With answers
Quick answer

Questions in this chapter range from direct hypotenuse calculations to multi-step problems that use two right triangles in one figure (solve one, use the answer in the next). You are also asked to prove the theorem, to use its converse to test whether a triangle is right-angled, and to apply it to ladders, distances and diagonals.

About Pythagoras Theorem

The relationship at the centre of this chapter — hypotenuse squared equals the sum of the other two sides squared — is one you'll already have used without proving it; ICSE wants both the formal proof and its converse, which flips the logic to test whether a given triangle is right-angled at all. From there it's applied straight to real situations: how far a ladder reaches up a wall, distances between two points, and diagonals of a rectangle.

Pythagoras theorem statement and proofConverse of Pythagoras theoremFinding unknown sidesApplications (ladders, heights, distances)Problems using two right triangles

Key concepts & formulas

Pythagoras theorem

In a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides: if ∠B=90∘\angle B=90^\circ∠ B=90° in △ABC\triangle ABC△ ABC, then AC2=AB2+BC2AC^2=AB^2+BC^2AC²=AB²+BC².

Converse

If in a triangle the square of one side equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides, then the angle opposite the first side is a right angle. This is used to test for right-angled triangles.

Pythagorean triples

Whole-number sides satisfying a2+b2=c2a^2+b^2=c^2a²+b²=c², e.g. (3,4,5)(3,4,5)(3,4,5), (5,12,13)(5,12,13)(5,12,13), (8,15,17)(8,15,17)(8,15,17), (7,24,25)(7,24,25)(7,24,25). Their multiples are also triples.

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Pythagoras Theorem Questions and Answers

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MCQs with answers (1 mark)

Q1MCQEasy1 mark

In a right-angled triangle the two legs are 666 cm and 888 cm. The hypotenuse is:

  1. (a)

    101010 cm

  2. (b)

    141414 cm

  3. (c)

    121212 cm

  4. (d)

    777 cm

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Answer: (a) 101010 cm.

Hypotenuse =62+82=36+64=100=10=\sqrt{6^2+8^2}=\sqrt{36+64}=\sqrt{100}=10=√(6²+8²)=√(36+64)=√100=10 cm.

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Q2MCQEasy1 mark

Which of the following is a Pythagorean triple?

  1. (a)

    (2,3,4)(2,3,4)(2,3,4)

  2. (b)

    (5,12,13)(5,12,13)(5,12,13)

  3. (c)

    (6,8,9)(6,8,9)(6,8,9)

  4. (d)

    (4,5,6)(4,5,6)(4,5,6)

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Answer: (b) (5,12,13)(5,12,13)(5,12,13).

52+122=25+144=169=1325^2+12^2=25+144=169=13^25²+12²=25+144=169=13², so it satisfies a2+b2=c2a^2+b^2=c^2a²+b²=c². The others do not.

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Q3MCQModerate1 mark

The diagonal of a square is 828\sqrt28√2 cm. The side of the square is:

  1. (a)

    444 cm

  2. (b)

    888 cm

  3. (c)

    161616 cm

  4. (d)

    828\sqrt28√2 cm

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Answer: (b) 888 cm.

For a square of side aaa, diagonal =a2=a\sqrt2=a√2. So a2=82a\sqrt2=8\sqrt2a√2=8√2, giving a=8a=8a=8 cm.

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Q4MCQHOTS1 mark

In △ABC\triangle ABC△ ABC, ∠B=90∘\angle B=90^\circ∠ B=90° and BD⊥ACBD\perp ACBD⊥ AC with DDD on ACACAC. If AD=4AD=4AD=4 cm and DC=9DC=9DC=9 cm, then BD=BD=BD=

  1. (a)

    666 cm

  2. (b)

    6.56.56.5 cm

  3. (c)

    131313 cm

  4. (d)

    363636 cm

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Answer: (a) 666 cm.

When the altitude is drawn from the right angle to the hypotenuse, BD2=AD×DC=4×9=36BD^2=AD\times DC=4\times9=36BD²=AD× DC=4×9=36, so BD=6BD=6BD=6 cm.

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Assertion–Reason questions (1 mark)

Q5Assertion–ReasonModerate1 mark

Assertion (A): A triangle with sides 999 cm, 121212 cm and 151515 cm is right-angled.

Reason (R): By the converse of Pythagoras theorem, if the square of the longest side equals the sum of the squares of the other two, the triangle is right-angled.

  1. (a)

    Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

  2. (b)

    Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A

  3. (c)

    A is true but R is false

  4. (d)

    A is false but R is true

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Answer: (a) 92+122=81+144=225=1529^2+12^2=81+144=225=15^29²+12²=81+144=225=15². By the converse of Pythagoras theorem the triangle is right-angled (right angle opposite the 151515 cm side). R correctly explains A.

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Very short answer questions (2 marks)

Q6Very ShortEasy2 marks

A ladder 131313 m long rests against a vertical wall with its foot 555 m from the wall. How high up the wall does the ladder reach?

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The wall, ground and ladder form a right-angled triangle with the ladder as the hypotenuse.

Let the height reached be hhh. By Pythagoras theorem:

h2=132−52=169−25=144h^2=13^2-5^2=169-25=144h²=13²-5²=169-25=144

h=144=12 m.h=\sqrt{144}=12\text{ m}.h=√144=12 m.

The ladder reaches 121212 m up the wall.

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Q7Very ShortModerate2 marks

The sides of a triangle are 777 cm, 242424 cm and 252525 cm. Show whether it is a right-angled triangle.

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The longest side is 252525 cm. Check the converse of Pythagoras theorem.

72+242=49+576=6257^2+24^2=49+576=6257²+24²=49+576=625.

252=62525^2=62525²=625.

Since 72+242=2527^2+24^2=25^27²+24²=25², by the converse of Pythagoras theorem the triangle is right-angled, with the right angle opposite the 252525 cm side.

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Short answer questions (3 marks)

Q8Short AnswerModerate3 marks

In an isosceles triangle ABCABCABC, AB=AC=13AB=AC=13AB=AC=13 cm and BC=10BC=10BC=10 cm. Find the length of the altitude ADADAD from AAA to BCBCBC.

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The altitude ADADAD from the apex of an isosceles triangle bisects the base BCBCBC.

So BD=DC=102=5BD=DC=\dfrac{10}{2}=5BD=DC=10/2=5 cm, and ∠ADB=90∘\angle ADB=90^\circ∠ ADB=90°.

In right △ADB\triangle ADB△ ADB, by Pythagoras theorem:

AD2=AB2−BD2=132−52=169−25=144AD^2=AB^2-BD^2=13^2-5^2=169-25=144AD²=AB²-BD²=13²-5²=169-25=144

AD=144=12 cm.AD=\sqrt{144}=12\text{ cm}.AD=√144=12 cm.

The altitude AD=12AD=12AD=12 cm.

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Q9Short AnswerModerate3 marks

A man goes 151515 m due east and then 888 m due north. How far is he from the starting point? Explain using a diagram.

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The eastward and northward paths are perpendicular, forming a right-angled triangle whose hypotenuse is the required distance.

ICSE Class 9 Maths — Pythagoras Theorem: A man goes 15 m due east and then 8 m due north. How far is he from the starting point? Explain using a diagram.

Let the distance from the start be ACACAC. By Pythagoras theorem:

AC2=152+82=225+64=289AC^2=15^2+8^2=225+64=289AC²=15²+8²=225+64=289

AC=289=17 m.AC=\sqrt{289}=17\text{ m}.AC=√289=17 m.

He is 171717 m from the starting point.

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Q10Short AnswerHOTS3 marks

In quadrilateral ABCDABCDABCD, ∠B=90∘\angle B=90^\circ∠ B=90°, AB=3AB=3AB=3 cm, BC=4BC=4BC=4 cm, CD=12CD=12CD=12 cm and ∠ACD=90∘\angle ACD=90^\circ∠ ACD=90°. Find ADADAD.

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First find the diagonal ACACAC in right △ABC\triangle ABC△ ABC (∠B=90∘\angle B=90^\circ∠ B=90°):

AC2=AB2+BC2=32+42=9+16=25AC^2=AB^2+BC^2=3^2+4^2=9+16=25AC²=AB²+BC²=3²+4²=9+16=25

AC=5 cm.AC=5\text{ cm}.AC=5 cm.

Now in △ACD\triangle ACD△ ACD, ∠ACD=90∘\angle ACD=90^\circ∠ ACD=90°, so ADADAD is the hypotenuse:

AD2=AC2+CD2=52+122=25+144=169AD^2=AC^2+CD^2=5^2+12^2=25+144=169AD²=AC²+CD²=5²+12²=25+144=169

AD=169=13 cm.AD=\sqrt{169}=13\text{ cm}.AD=√169=13 cm.

Therefore AD=13AD=13AD=13 cm.

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Q11Short AnswerModerate3 marks

A tree is broken by the wind. The top of the tree touches the ground 121212 m from the foot of the tree, and the broken part makes the hypotenuse. If the height of the standing part is 555 m, find the original height of the tree.

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The standing part (555 m) is vertical, the distance on the ground (121212 m) is horizontal, and the broken part is the hypotenuse.

Broken part =52+122=25+144=169=13=\sqrt{5^2+12^2}=\sqrt{25+144}=\sqrt{169}=13=√(5²+12²)=√(25+144)=√169=13 m.

Original height === standing part +++ broken part =5+13=18=5+13=18=5+13=18 m.

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Long answer questions (5 marks)

Q12Long AnswerModerate5 marks

State and prove the Pythagoras Theorem: in a right-angled triangle the square on the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides.

ICSE Class 9 Maths — Pythagoras Theorem: State and prove the Pythagoras Theorem: in a right-angled triangle the square on the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares on the o
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Given: A right-angled △ABC\triangle ABC△ ABC with ∠B=90∘\angle B=90^\circ∠ B=90°.

To prove: AC2=AB2+BC2AC^2=AB^2+BC^2AC²=AB²+BC².

Construction: Draw BD⊥ACBD\perp ACBD⊥ AC, with DDD on ACACAC.

Proof: In △ADB\triangle ADB△ ADB and △ABC\triangle ABC△ ABC:

∠A=∠A\angle A=\angle A∠ A=∠ A (common) and ∠ADB=∠ABC=90∘\angle ADB=\angle ABC=90^\circ∠ ADB=∠ ABC=90°.

By AA similarity, △ADB∼△ABC\triangle ADB\sim\triangle ABC△ ADB∼ △ ABC, so ADAB=ABAC\dfrac{AD}{AB}=\dfrac{AB}{AC}AD/AB=AB/AC, giving

AB2=AD⋅AC...(1)AB^2=AD\cdot AC \quad\text{...(1)}AB²=AD· AC ...(1)

Similarly, in △BDC\triangle BDC△ BDC and △ABC\triangle ABC△ ABC: ∠C=∠C\angle C=\angle C∠ C=∠ C (common) and ∠BDC=∠ABC=90∘\angle BDC=\angle ABC=90^\circ∠ BDC=∠ ABC=90°.

By AA similarity, △BDC∼△ABC\triangle BDC\sim\triangle ABC△ BDC∼ △ ABC, so DCBC=BCAC\dfrac{DC}{BC}=\dfrac{BC}{AC}DC/BC=BC/AC, giving

BC2=DC⋅AC...(2)BC^2=DC\cdot AC \quad\text{...(2)}BC²=DC· AC ...(2)

Adding (1) and (2):

AB2+BC2=AD⋅AC+DC⋅AC=AC(AD+DC)AB^2+BC^2=AD\cdot AC+DC\cdot AC=AC(AD+DC)AB²+BC²=AD· AC+DC· AC=AC(AD+DC)

Since AD+DC=ACAD+DC=ACAD+DC=AC,

AB2+BC2=AC⋅AC=AC2.AB^2+BC^2=AC\cdot AC=AC^2.AB²+BC²=AC· AC=AC².

Hence AC2=AB2+BC2AC^2=AB^2+BC^2AC²=AB²+BC². Proved.

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Q13Long AnswerHOTS5 marks

In △ABC\triangle ABC△ ABC, ∠A=90∘\angle A=90^\circ∠ A=90°, and PPP and QQQ are the mid-points of ABABAB and ACACAC. Prove that 4(BQ2+CP2)=5BC24(BQ^2+CP^2)=5BC^24(BQ²+CP²)=5BC².

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Since ∠A=90∘\angle A=90^\circ∠ A=90°, use Pythagoras theorem in the right triangles.

Let AB=cAB=cAB=c and AC=bAC=bAC=b. Then BC2=b2+c2BC^2=b^2+c^2BC²=b²+c².

PPP is mid-point of ABABAB: AP=c2AP=\dfrac{c}{2}AP=c/2. In right △APC\triangle APC△ APC:
CP2=AC2+AP2=b2+c24.CP^2=AC^2+AP^2=b^2+\dfrac{c^2}{4}.CP²=AC²+AP²=b²+c²/4.

QQQ is mid-point of ACACAC: AQ=b2AQ=\dfrac{b}{2}AQ=b/2. In right △ABQ\triangle ABQ△ ABQ:
BQ2=AB2+AQ2=c2+b24.BQ^2=AB^2+AQ^2=c^2+\dfrac{b^2}{4}.BQ²=AB²+AQ²=c²+b²/4.

Adding:
BQ2+CP2=c2+b24+b2+c24=54(b2+c2).BQ^2+CP^2=c^2+\dfrac{b^2}{4}+b^2+\dfrac{c^2}{4}=\dfrac54(b^2+c^2).BQ²+CP²=c²+b²/4+b²+c²/4=5/4(b²+c²).

Multiply by 444:
4(BQ2+CP2)=5(b2+c2)=5BC2.4(BQ^2+CP^2)=5(b^2+c^2)=5BC^2.4(BQ²+CP²)=5(b²+c²)=5BC².

Hence proved.

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Case study questions (4 marks)

Q14Case-basedModerate4 marks

A rectangular playground PQRSPQRSPQRS has length PQ=40PQ=40PQ=40 m and breadth QR=30QR=30QR=30 m. A pole stands at corner PPP, and a straight wire is stretched from the top of the pole to corner RRR.

(i) Find the length of the diagonal PRPRPR of the playground.

(ii) If the pole is 242424 m tall, find the length of the wire from the top of the pole to corner RRR.

(iii) A jogger runs along PQPQPQ then QRQRQR; how much shorter is the diagonal path PRPRPR than this route?

(iv) State the theorem used and its converse in one line.

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(i) In right △PQR\triangle PQR△ PQR (∠Q=90∘\angle Q=90^\circ∠ Q=90°):
PR2=PQ2+QR2=402+302=1600+900=2500PR^2=PQ^2+QR^2=40^2+30^2=1600+900=2500PR²=PQ²+QR²=40²+30²=1600+900=2500
PR=2500=50 m.PR=\sqrt{2500}=50\text{ m}.PR=√2500=50 m.

(ii) The pole (242424 m) is vertical at PPP and PR=50PR=50PR=50 m is horizontal. The wire is the hypotenuse:
wire=242+502=576+2500=3076≈55.5 m.\text{wire}=\sqrt{24^2+50^2}=\sqrt{576+2500}=\sqrt{3076}\approx55.5\text{ m}.wire=√(24²+50²)=√(576+2500)=√3076≈55.5 m.

(iii) Route PQ+QR=40+30=70PQ+QR=40+30=70PQ+QR=40+30=70 m; diagonal PR=50PR=50PR=50 m. The diagonal is 70−50=2070-50=2070-50=20 m shorter.

(iv) Pythagoras theorem: in a right triangle, hypotenuse2=^2=²= sum of squares of the other two sides; its converse: if one side's square equals the sum of the squares of the other two, the triangle is right-angled.

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Continues in Class 10: Heights and Distances Class 10 ICSE questions

All ICSE Class 9 Maths Chapters

Frequently asked questions

  • What are the important questions in Pythagoras Theorem ICSE Class 9?
    Finding a missing side, testing whether a triangle is right-angled with the converse, ladder, distance and broken-tree problems, multi-step figures with two right triangles, and the formal proof. This page has 14 such questions with answers, including a playground-and-pole case study.
  • How do you check if a triangle is right-angled?
    Square all three sides and see whether the largest square equals the sum of the other two (the converse of Pythagoras). For 7,24,257, 24, 257, 24, 25: 49+576=625=25249+576=625=25^249+576=625=25², so the triangle is right-angled, with the right angle opposite the 252525 cm side.
  • How high does a 13 m ladder reach if its foot is 5 m from the wall?
    The ladder is the hypotenuse, so the height is 132−52=144=12\sqrt{13^2-5^2}=\sqrt{144}=12√(13²-5²)=√144=12 m. Recognising the 5,12,135, 12, 135, 12, 13 triple lets you skip the arithmetic altogether. Ladder questions always make the ladder the hypotenuse.
  • What are common Pythagorean triples?
    (3,4,5)(3,4,5)(3,4,5), (5,12,13)(5,12,13)(5,12,13), (8,15,17)(8,15,17)(8,15,17) and (7,24,25)(7,24,25)(7,24,25), plus their multiples such as (6,8,10)(6,8,10)(6,8,10) and (9,12,15)(9,12,15)(9,12,15). Spotting them saves time: a man walking 151515 m east and 888 m north ends 171717 m from his start.
  • Which ICSE Class 9 chapters use Pythagoras theorem later?
    Trigonometrical Ratios (Chapter 22) and Distance Formula (Chapter 28) both rely on it, as does the Circle chapter's chord-length work. Pythagoras Theorem itself is Chapter 13, after Mid-point and Its Converse.
  • How do I solve two-triangle Pythagoras problems?
    Solve the triangle with two known sides first, then use that answer as a side of the second. With AB=3AB=3AB=3, BC=4BC=4BC=4 and ∠B=90∘\angle B=90^\circ∠ B=90°, AC=5AC=5AC=5; then in △ACD\triangle ACD△ ACD with CD=12CD=12CD=12 and a right angle at CCC, AD=13AD=13AD=13.
  • Can I download Pythagoras Theorem ICSE Class 9 questions?
    Yes. Enter your email in the free PDF box on this page to open all 14 Pythagoras questions, the full proof included, as a printable worksheet with answers.

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