3-4-5 Triangle and the Governor

Tampa Tribune - Letters to the Editor

This is reference to “FCAT Geometry Quiz Stumps Governor
By Mike Schneider The Associated Press” which appeared in the Tampa Tribune on Wed. July 7.

I agree with the student’s assertion that politicians should have to pass the FCAT’s themselves (for the record, Governor Bush has passed the FCAT), but I disagree with her choice of question. I do not believe such a question should be answerable off the top of our heads, since it requires knowledge of trigonometry and use of a calculator.

If I had to guess at the question (not released to the public) as it might have appeared on the FCAT and if in fact it were that particular question about a 3-4-5 triangle, then I would have to say it probably had multiple-choice answers.

Some possible choices that could have made sense would be
a) 30-60-90
b) 45-45-90
c) 60-60-60
d) 30-40-50
e) None of the above.

Over my 26 years of teaching experience, answer a) 30-60-90 is the most popular wrong choice. (This is also the one chosen by the student in the article.)

By the way, there is another interesting discussion about 3-4-5 triangles that appears in the movie the Wizard of Oz. It occurs when the scarecrow asks for a brain from the wizard. Check it out on video.

Enjoy,

Manny Suarez
Berkeley Math Teacher and USF GRE Teacher

check out my blog on the Wizard of Oz http://sauremangreeks.blogspot.com/