Right-Angled Triangles - Pythagoras & Trigonometry (Edexcel IGCSE Maths A: Higher): Exam Questions

Exam code: 4MA1

4 hours59 questions
1
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3 marks

XYZ is a right-angled triangle.

q1-easy-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

Calculate the length of XZ.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

2
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3 marks

Here is a right-angled triangle.

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Work out the length of AC.
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

3
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3 marks
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LMN is a right-angled triangle.
MN = 9.6 cm.
LM= 6.4 cm.

Calculate the size of the angle marked x°.
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

4
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3 marks
q4-easy-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

Calculate the value of x.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

5
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3 marks
q5-easy-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

PQR is a right-angled triangle.
PR = 17 cm
PQ = 25 cm

Work out the size of angle RPQ.
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

6
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2 marks

ABC is a right-angled triangle.

q6-easy-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

Calculate the length of AB.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

7
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2 marks

PQR is a right-angled triangle.

q7-easy-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

Work out the size of the angle marked x.
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

8
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2 marks

ABC is a right-angled triangle.

q9-easy-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

Calculate the length of AB.
Give your answer correct to 2 decimal places.

9
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3 marks

The diagram shows triangle ABC

q3-january-2022-1h-edexcel-igcse-maths

Work out the length of the side AB
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

...................................................... cm 

10
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3 marks

The diagram shows a right-angled triangle.

q7-paper2h-nov2020-edexcel-igcse-maths

Calculate the value of x.
Give your answer correct to one decimal place.

x = ............................................ 

11
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3 marks

The diagram shows a rectangle and a diagonal of the rectangle.

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Work out the length of the diagonal of the rectangle. Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

.....................cm

12
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3 marks

Use Pythagoras’ theorem to work out the value of x.

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13
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3 marks

Calculate the size of angle x.

Right-angled triangle with a side of 12 cm next to an angle labelled x and 15 as the hypotenuse.

Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

x=............°

1
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3 marks
q1-medium-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

ABC is a right-angled triangle.
 AC = 6 cm
AB  = 13 cm

Work out the length of BC.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

2
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5 marks

Here is a rectangle.

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The 8-sided shape below is made from 4 of these rectangles and 4 congruent right-angled triangles.

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Work out the perimeter of the 8-sided shape.
You must show all your working.

3
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5 marks

Here is part of a field.

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This part of the field is in the shape of a trapezium.
A farmer wants to put a fence all the way around the edge of this part of the field.

The farmer has 50m of fence.

Does he have enough fence?
You must show all your working.

4
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4 marks

The diagram shows a rectangular framework.

q4-medium-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

The framework is made from 5 metal rods.
The metal rods have a weight of 0.9 kg per metre.

Work out the total weight of the framework.
Give your answer, in kg, correct to 3 significant figures.

5
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4 marks

Triangle ABC has perimeter 20 cm.

AB = 7 cm.
BC = 4 cm.

By calculation, deduce whether triangle  ABC is a right-angled triangle.

6
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3 marks

The diagram shows a ladder leaning against a vertical wall.

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The ladder stands on horizontal ground.

The length of the ladder is 6 m.
The bottom of the ladder is 2.25 m from the bottom of the wall.

A ladder is safe to use when the angle marked y is about 75°.

Is the ladder safe to use?
You must show all your working.

7a
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2 marks

ABC is a right-angled triangle.

q7a-medium-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

Work out the size of angle ABC.
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

7b
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1 mark

The length of the side  AB is reduced by 1 cm.

The length of the side  BC is still 7 cm.
Angle  ACB is still 90°

Will the value of cos ABC increase or decrease?
You must give a reason for your answer.

8a
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3 marks

The diagram shows the positions of three turbines A, B and C.

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A is 6 km due north of turbine B.
C is 4.5 km due west of turbine B.

Calculate the distance AC.

8b
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4 marks

Calculate the bearing of C from A.
Give your answer correct to the nearest degree.

9
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4 marks

ABC is an isosceles triangle.

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Work out the area of the triangle.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

10
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3 marks
q11-medium-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

Calculate the length of PR.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

11
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4 marks

The diagram shows isosceles triangle ABC

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AB = AC = 17.5 cm             BC = 28 cm

Calculate the area of triangle ABC

...................................................... cm2  

12
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3 marks

The diagram shows two vertical phone masts, AB and CD, on horizontal ground.

q12-4ma1-2hr-qp-jan22-paper2-igcse-maths

AB=6.2 m      AC=244 m     CD=30.7 m

Work out the size of the angle of depression of B from D
Give your answer correct to one decimal place.

13
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4 marks

The diagram shows a trapezium.

q7-paper2hr-jan2019-edexcel-igcse-maths

Work out the value of y.
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

y=        

14
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4 marks
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M, N and P are points on a circle, centre O.
MON is a diameter of the circle.

MP = 3.5 cm
PN = 9.7 cm

Angle MPN = 90°

Work out the circumference of the circle.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

....................................................... cm 

15
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3 marks

From point A, Stanley walks 200m due east to point B.
From B, he then walks 160 m due south to point C.

Work out the length of AC.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

.......................................metres  

16
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4 marks

ABCD is a trapezium.

q10-paper2hr-june2018-edexcel-igcse-maths

Work out the size of angle x.
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

17
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4 marks

The diagram shows an isosceles triangle.

Isosceles triangle with equal sides of 14.5 cm and base 20 cm, labelled as "Diagram NOT accurately drawn" on the right.

Work out the area of the triangle.

18
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3 marks
Right-angled triangle with sides 12 cm and 8 cm, angle x at base, and note stating "Diagram NOT accurately drawn."

Calculate the size of angle x. Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

19
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5 marks

Here is triangle ABC

Right triangle ABC, with angle A at 40 degrees, side AB as 22 metres, height from C is 8 metres, angle B is x degrees; not accurately drawn.

Work out the value of x
Give your answer correct to one decimal place.
Show your working clearly.

20
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4 marks

The diagram shows triangle ABC and triangle ECD

Triangle diagram with points A, B, C, D, E. AC is 8cm, CD is 14cm, EC is 5cm, AB is 10cm, ED is w cm. Triangle EBC is right-angled. Diagram not to scale.

ACD and EBC are straight lines.

AB = 10 cm   AC = 8 cm   EB = 5 cm   CD = 14 cm   ED = w cm

Work out the value of w
Give your answer correct to one decimal place

1
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4 marks

Triangles ABD and BCD are right-angled triangles.

q1-hard-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

Work out the value of x.
Give your answer correct to 2 decimal places.

2
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5 marks

The diagram shows a quadrilateral ABCD.

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AB = 16 cm. AD = 12 cm. Angle BCD = 40°. Angle ADB = angle CBD = 90°.

Calculate the length of CD.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

3
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4 marks

The diagram shows two vertical posts, AB and CD, on horizontal ground.

q3-hard-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

AB = 1.7 m
CD : AB = 1.5 : 1

The angle of elevation of C from A is 52°.

Calculate the length of BD.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

4
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4 marks

The diagram shows an isosceles triangle.

Triangle with two sides measuring 11cm and the base 15cm, outlined in black on a white background.

Work out the area of the triangle. Give your answer to 3 significant figures.

........... cm2

5
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5 marks

ABCD is a trapezium.

q4-hard-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

AD = 10 cm AB = 9 cm DC = 3 cm Angle ABC = angle BCD = 90°

Calculate the length of  AC.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

6
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4 marks
q5-hard-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

ABC is a right-angled triangle.
D is a point on AB.

Angle ACD = 30°
 AD = 10.4 cm
 DB = 5.2 cm
 AC = 18 cm

Work out the size of the angle marked x.
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

7
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5 marks

ABCD is a trapezium.

q6-hard-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

Work out the size of angle CDA.
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

8
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5 marks
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AB = 15 m
BC = 24 m
Angle BAD = 62°

Work out the size of angle BCD.
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

9
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4 marks

The diagram shows a triangle DEF inside a rectangle ABCD.

q8-hard-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

Show that the area of triangle DEF is 8 cm2
You must show all your working.

10
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3 marks

Here is a parallelogram.

q9-hard-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

DC = 7cm
CB = 5 cm
Angle ABC is 40°

Work out the area of the parallelogram.
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

11
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5 marks

The diagram shows a right-angled triangle.

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Five of these triangles are put together to make a shape.

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....................................................... cm 

12
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3 marks

A zip wire is shown as the dashed line AC in the diagram.

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The zip wire is supported by two vertical posts AB and CD standing on horizontal ground.

CD = 2.6 m          BD = 12 m

The zip wire makes an angle x with the horizontal, as shown in the diagram.
The design of the zip wire requires the angle x to be at least 5°

Work out the least possible height of the post AB
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

13a
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3 marks

The diagram shows a vertical cliff with a vertical radio mast on top of the cliff and a buoy in the sea.

q12-4ma1-1h-qp-nov21-paper1-igcse-maths

The height of the cliff is 100 metres.
The buoy is at the point B that is  d metres from the base of the cliff.
The angle of elevation from B to the top of the cliff is 20°

Calculate the value of d.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

d = ...................................................... 

13b
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3 marks

The point A at the top of the radio mast is vertically above the top of the cliff.
The angle of elevation from B to A is 25°

Calculate the height of the radio mast.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

....................................................... m 

14
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5 marks

The diagram shows a shaded shape  ABCD made from a semicircle  ABC and a right-angled triangle ACD.

q11-4ma1-2h-qp-jan20-paper2-igcse-maths

AC is the diameter of the semicircle ABC.

Work out the perimeter of the shaded shape.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

....................cm

15
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5 marks

The diagram shows four congruent right‐angled triangles ABJ, BCI, CDH and DEG.
The diagram also shows the straight line ABCDEF.

q13-paper2hr-nov2020-edexcel-igcse-maths

AJ = 15cm
Angle BAJ = 35°

AF = 80cm

Work out the length of EF.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

............................................. cm 

16
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4 marks

The diagram shows right-angled triangle ABD

A triangle with vertices A, B, C, and right angle at D. Side AD is 8 cm, AB is 14 cm, and angle CAB is 38°. Diagram not accurately drawn.

AB = 14 cm     AD = 8 cm

C is the point on BD such that angle BAC = 38°

Work out the length of CD
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

1
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5 marks

The diagram represents a metal frame.

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The frame is made from four metal bars, AB, AC, BC and BD.

Angle ABC = angle ADB = 90°
AB = 5 m
BC = 3 m

Work out the total length of the four metal bars of the frame.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

2
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4 marks
q2-veryhard-4-10-right-angled-triangle-edexcel-gcse-maths

ABCD is a rectangle.
CDE is a straight line.

AB = 12 cm
Angle ACB= 60°
Angle EAC = 90°

Calculate the length of CE.
You must show all your working.

3a
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1 mark
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B, C and D are points on the circumference of a circle, centre O. BOD is a diameter of the circle.

AO = 7cm        Angle ABO= 90°            Angle OAB = 35°         Angle DBC= 70°

Explain why angle BCD is 90°

3b
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4 marks

Calculate the length of BC
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

4
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4 marks

A square, with sides of length x cm, is inside a circle.
Each vertex of the square is on the circumference of the circle.

The area of the circle is 49 cm2.

Work out the value of x.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

5
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5 marks

Here is triangle ABD.

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The point C lies on BD.

AD = 13cm      BC = 8cm       angle ADB = 90°      angle CAD = 20°

Calculate the size of angle BAC.
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

6
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5 marks

In the diagram, ABC is a right-angled triangle and DEF is a semicircular arc.

q9-4ma1-2hr-qp-jan22-paper2-igcse-maths

In triangle ABC

BC = 24 cm

angle ABC = 90° 

angle BCA = 30°

The points D and F lie on AC so that DF is the diameter of the semicircular arc DEF
The radius of the semicircular arc is 3cm.

Work out the length of AFEDC
Give your answer correct to 2 significant figures.

7
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5 marks

The diagram shows the side view of a step ladder with a horizontal strut of length 48 cm.

The strut is one third of the way up the ladder.

The symmetrical cross section of the ladder shows two similar triangles.

q23-paper-3h-nov-2018-aqa-gcse-maths

Work out the vertical height, h cm, of the ladder.

...........................cm

8a
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2 marks

A Big Wheel is modelled as a circle with centre O and radius 15 metres.

The wheel turns in an anticlockwise direction.

The lowest point on the wheel is always 2 metres above horizontal ground.

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C is a point on the wheel, h metres above horizontal ground.

Angle COB = x°

Show that h= 17  15 cos x°

8b
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2 marks

D is a point on the wheel.

Angle DOB = 120°

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Work out the height of D above horizontal ground.

........................ metres 

8c
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2 marks

Here is a sketch of the graph  h = 17  15 cos x° for one complete turn of the wheel.

P is the highest point on the graph.

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Work out the coordinates of P.

9
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5 marks

A, B, C and D are points on the circumference of a circle, centre O.

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Angle CAD = 28° and CD = 6.4cm.
BD is a diameter of the circle.

Calculate the area of the circle.

...................... cm2 

10a
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2 marks

Without using a calculator, show that 20=25.

10b
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3 marks

The point A is shown on the unit grid below.
The point B is 25 units from A and lies on the intersection of two grid lines.

Mark one possible position for B.

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