Shape 

Copyright David & Cynthia Thomas, 2009

 

Triangle Recipes--Directed Activity: Side-Side-Side

                                                                                   

Focus

Construct a triangle given three segments satisfying the Triangle Inequality Theorem.

Technologies

·        Straightedge-and-compass

·        The Geometers Sketchpad

References

·        Euclid’s Elements Proposition 8

http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/java/elements/bookI/propI8.html

·        Euclid of Alexandria

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

Background

 

Figure 1.8: Side-Side-Side

 

Tasks

1.      Using both straightedge-and-compass and The Geometers Sketchpad, construct a triangle with sides equal in length to the segments indicated in Figure 1.8. 

2.      Explain and justify your constructions and the final result.