Key learning points

1. For packing efficiency, it can be useful to know the length of the longest diagonal
2. This would be from a bottom corner of a rectangular box, to the opposite top corner
3. You can construct a right-angled triangle to calculate this
4. You will need to know the length of the diagonal of the base of the box
5. There is a formula you can deduce to calculate the longest diagonal

Keywords

• Hypotenuse - The hypotenuse is the side of a right-angled triangle which is opposite the right angle.

• Pythagoras' theorem - Pythagoras’ theorem states that the sum of the squares of the two shorter sides of a right-angled triangle is equal to the square of the hypotenuse.

• Cross-section - A cross-section is a 2D face made from cutting straight through any plane of a 3D object.

Common misconception