Difficulty:![]() Rating: ![]() GCSE Marks: ![]() |
GCSE Text:
Two triangular shade sails are suspended above a patio to provide shade from the sun. The dimensions of these sails are shown here:
What is the total area of shade provided by these two sails?
Suggestions:
A simple but real problem involving the areas of triangles. Students need to recall the formula for the area of a triangle, and be able to calculate the total area without a calculator.
Extension Ideas:
Teachers could extend the learning by considering:
- On the hottest of days, the shade sails stretch a little, so each dimension is increased by 10%. Calculate the total area again, and explain why it has not increased by 10%.