Grade 10Reading: grades 7-9Pythagorean theoremSquare rootsExponentsOrder of operations

The Sky-Loom Heist

The floating sky-islands of Aethelgard are in deep trouble! The legendary Golden Astrolabe has been stolen from the Chief Cartographer's sky-tower. The thief escaped by airship, leaving a trail of high-tech gear and debris in the clouds. We have a list of suspects from the Aero-Explorer Guild, but we must use our mathematical detective skills to find the culprit!

Suspects

Possible suspects

Cross off a row as each clue rules it out. On screen, tap a row.

21 of 21 still in play

Name	Sky-Gear	Secondary Tool	Goggle Choice	Hair Tint	Vulnerability
Bessie Coleman	steam jetpack	smoke bombs	leather visor	sunset orange hair	dazed by bright light
Roald Amundsen	steam jetpack	net launcher	leather visor	storm grey hair	shorted by salt water
Jacques Cousteau	glider wings	net launcher	leather visor	sunset orange hair	dazed by bright light
Harriet Quimby	magnetic gloves	decoy drones	brass goggles	sunset orange hair	dazed by bright light
Isabella Bird	gravity boots	smoke bombs	brass goggles	sunset orange hair	dazed by bright light
Amelia Earhart	glider wings	smoke bombs	brass goggles	storm grey hair	dazed by bright light
Nellie Bly	magnetic gloves	smoke bombs	leather visor	neon blue hair	shorted by salt water
Alexander Humboldt	grapple launcher	stealth cloak	brass goggles	sunset orange hair	dazed by bright light
Ibnu Battuta	gravity boots	stealth cloak	leather visor	neon blue hair	clogged by dust
Ranulph Fiennes	gravity boots	smoke bombs	leather visor	storm grey hair	shorted by salt water
Sally Ride	steam jetpack	net launcher	leather visor	neon blue hair	dazed by bright light
Robert Peary	magnetic gloves	smoke bombs	brass goggles	storm grey hair	clogged by dust
Ferdinand Magellan	gravity boots	flash flares	brass goggles	storm grey hair	shorted by salt water
Thor Heyerdahl	gravity boots	net launcher	leather visor	sunset orange hair	dazed by bright light
Matthew Henson	gravity boots	net launcher	brass goggles	sunset orange hair	dazed by bright light
Leif Erikson	grapple launcher	decoy drones	brass goggles	sunset orange hair	shorted by salt water
Charles Lindbergh	gravity boots	flash flares	brass goggles	neon blue hair	clogged by dust
Marco Polo	grapple launcher	decoy drones	leather visor	storm grey hair	dazed by bright light
Jeanne Baret	magnetic gloves	net launcher	brass goggles	sunset orange hair	dazed by bright light
Yuri Gagarin	glider wings	smoke bombs	leather visor	sunset orange hair	clogged by dust
Sacagawea	grapple launcher	flash flares	leather visor	sunset orange hair	clogged by dust

Clue 1

Pythagorean theorem

To trace the escape path across the sky, we calculated the direct diagonal shortcut between the two floating docks using a right-triangle map.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

111

125

123

legs 15 and 36, hypotenuse =T

legs 20 and 48, hypotenuse =F

legs 18 and 80, hypotenuse =H

legs 27 and 120, hypotenuse =L

legs 16 and 30, hypotenuse =C

legs 36 and 105, hypotenuse =I

legs 35 and 120, hypotenuse =N

legs 10 and 24, hypotenuse =O

legs 14 and 48, hypotenuse =U

legs 5 and 12, hypotenuse =E

legs 18 and 24, hypotenuse =S

legs 9 and 12, hypotenuse =A

legs 25 and 60, hypotenuse =K

legs 24 and 70, hypotenuse =D

0/14 letters found

Clue 2

Square roots

The bandit ran across a square landing grid, and we had to work backward from its total area to find the exact side length of their footprints.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

sqrt(324) =T

sqrt(81) =H

sqrt(64) =R

sqrt(576) =G

sqrt(256) =L

sqrt(529) =N

sqrt(100) =B

sqrt(36) =E

sqrt(400) =W

sqrt(625) =S

sqrt(225) =A

sqrt(361) =O

sqrt(441) =C

0/13 letters found

Clue 3

Exponents

The rogue used a signal jammer that doubled its power with every extra antenna, forcing us to calculate the exponential strength of the signal.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

128

216

625

256

361

128

324

100

128

100

196

216

125

256

225

324

125

256

4^2 =T

14^2 =B

2^8 =G

3^4 =L

18^2 =S

2^2 =H

5^2 =W

2^5 =A

10^2 =D

5^4 =O

15^2 =F

2^7 =E

19^2 =U

7^2 =Z

3^3 =Y

6^3 =R

5^3 =I

0/17 letters found

Clue 4

Order of operations

We found a locked security terminal on the airship deck where we had to solve the nested formulas in the exact sequence to unlock the logbook.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

105

101

112

101

105

101

93 + 6 × 2 =S

20 + 4 × 3 =G

7 × 5 - 25 =T

2 + 2 × 2 =H

6 × 11 - 21 =U

81 + 5 × 3 =F

9 × 9 - 16 =L

9 + 2 × 4 =I

18 + 4 × 6 =R

23 + 8 × 2 =D

50 + 7 × 5 =A

33 + 2 × 2 =N

10 × 11 - 9 =E

3 × 8 - 6 =W

77 + 5 × 7 =O

61 + 6 × 3 =B

0/16 letters found

Clue 5

Square roots — the last clue

To measure the blast radius of the escape engine, we calculated the square root of the blackened zone to find the safe scanning boundary.

First solve each problem. Then find each answer in the list below and cross that sentence out. One sentence will be left — that's exactly what the villain did!

Step 1 — solve these

sqrt(36) = ?

sqrt(100) = ?

sqrt(121) = ?

sqrt(144) = ?

sqrt(1) = ?

sqrt(25) = ?

sqrt(81) = ?

sqrt(9) = ?

sqrt(64) = ?

sqrt(4) = ?

sqrt(49) = ?

Step 2 — cross out the sentence with each answer

1.The villain charged up their magnetic gloves, then tossed distracting flash flares.

2.The villain activated their gravity boots, then escaped under a stealth cloak.

3.The villain activated their gravity boots, then tossed distracting flash flares.

4.The villain activated their gravity boots, then dropped blinding smoke bombs.

5.The villain charged up their magnetic gloves, then escaped under a stealth cloak.

6.The villain charged up their magnetic gloves, then disabled the guards with a net launcher.

7.The villain unfurled their glider wings, then escaped under a stealth cloak.

8.The villain unfurled their glider wings, then deployed several decoy drones.

9.The villain fired up their steam jetpack, then dropped blinding smoke bombs.

10.The villain charged up their magnetic gloves, then deployed several decoy drones.

11.The villain activated their gravity boots, then disabled the guards with a net launcher.

12.The villain fired their grapple launcher, then tossed distracting flash flares.

Solve it

Name the culprit

Choose the one suspect left standing.

Answer Key — The Sky-Loom Heist

Culprit: Isabella Bird (gravity boots · smoke bombs · brass goggles · sunset orange hair · dazed by bright light)

Clue 1 (Pythagorean theorem): "THE THIEF DOES NOT USE A STEALTH CLOAK"
legs 15 and 36, hypotenuse = 39 (T) · legs 20 and 48, hypotenuse = 52 (F) · legs 18 and 80, hypotenuse = 82 (H) · legs 27 and 120, hypotenuse = 123 (L) · legs 16 and 30, hypotenuse = 34 (C) · legs 36 and 105, hypotenuse = 111 (I) · legs 35 and 120, hypotenuse = 125 (N) · legs 10 and 24, hypotenuse = 26 (O) · legs 14 and 48, hypotenuse = 50 (U) · legs 5 and 12, hypotenuse = 13 (E) · legs 18 and 24, hypotenuse = 30 (S) · legs 9 and 12, hypotenuse = 15 (A) · legs 25 and 60, hypotenuse = 65 (K) · legs 24 and 70, hypotenuse = 74 (D)
Clue 2 (Square roots): "THE AGENT WORE BRASS GOGGLES AT THE SCENE"
sqrt(324) = 18 (T) · sqrt(81) = 9 (H) · sqrt(64) = 8 (R) · sqrt(576) = 24 (G) · sqrt(256) = 16 (L) · sqrt(529) = 23 (N) · sqrt(100) = 10 (B) · sqrt(36) = 6 (E) · sqrt(400) = 20 (W) · sqrt(625) = 25 (S) · sqrt(225) = 15 (A) · sqrt(361) = 19 (O) · sqrt(441) = 21 (C)
Clue 3 (Exponents): "THE ROGUE WAS DAZED BY BRIGHT FLASH LIGHT"
4^2 = 16 (T) · 14^2 = 196 (B) · 2^8 = 256 (G) · 3^4 = 81 (L) · 18^2 = 324 (S) · 2^2 = 4 (H) · 5^2 = 25 (W) · 2^5 = 32 (A) · 10^2 = 100 (D) · 5^4 = 625 (O) · 15^2 = 225 (F) · 2^7 = 128 (E) · 19^2 = 361 (U) · 7^2 = 49 (Z) · 3^3 = 27 (Y) · 6^3 = 216 (R) · 5^3 = 125 (I)
Clue 4 (Order of operations): "SUNSET ORANGE HAIR STRANDS WERE LEFT BEHIND"
93 + 6 × 2 = 105 (S) · 20 + 4 × 3 = 32 (G) · 7 × 5 - 25 = 10 (T) · 2 + 2 × 2 = 6 (H) · 6 × 11 - 21 = 45 (U) · 81 + 5 × 3 = 96 (F) · 9 × 9 - 16 = 65 (L) · 9 + 2 × 4 = 17 (I) · 18 + 4 × 6 = 42 (R) · 23 + 8 × 2 = 39 (D) · 50 + 7 × 5 = 85 (A) · 33 + 2 × 2 = 37 (N) · 10 × 11 - 9 = 101 (E) · 3 × 8 - 6 = 18 (W) · 77 + 5 × 7 = 112 (O) · 61 + 6 × 3 = 79 (B)
Clue 5 (Square roots): surviving statement (box 4) → Isabella Bird
sqrt(36) = 6 · sqrt(100) = 10 · sqrt(121) = 11 · sqrt(144) = 12 · sqrt(1) = 1 · sqrt(25) = 5 · sqrt(81) = 9 · sqrt(9) = 3 · sqrt(64) = 8 · sqrt(4) = 2 · sqrt(49) = 7

About this mystery

Grade level: Grade 10 math
Math topics: Pythagorean theorem, Square roots, Exponents, Order of operations
Reading level: grades 7-9
Theme: The Sky-Loom Heist — set in The Sky-Islands of Aethelgard
Format: Interactive online & printable worksheet with answer key
Solution: One unique, verified culprit among 21 suspects

More free printable math cases

10th grade worksheets Exponents worksheets Order of operations worksheets Square roots worksheets Pythagorean theorem worksheets All worksheets →

Mystery of the Cloud Peak Pirate

Grade 10

The Case of the Golden Stethoscope

Grade 10

The Great Stethoscope Caper

Grade 10

The Great St. Pete Lab Mystery

Grade 10