Shape 

Copyright David & Cynthia Thomas, 2009

 

Triangle Recipes--Directed Activity: Euclid’s First Triangle, Part II

                                                   

Focus

Construct an equilateral triangle

Technologies

·        The Geometers Sketchpad

References

·        Euclid’s Elements Proposition 1

http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/java/elements/bookI/propI1.html

·        Euclid of Alexandria

http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Euclid.html

Background

The Geometers Sketchpad implements straightedge-and-compass constructions.  It also supports a wide variety of measurements and geometric transformations (See Figure 1.7).

Figure 1.7: Using The Geometers Sketchpad

 

Tasks

1.      Using The Geometers Sketchpad, construct an equilateral triangle. 

2.      Explain and justify the individual steps and final result of your construction.