Section 12.3: Activity 12D
DIRECTIONS
Use the three identical copies of the triangle below to show the three different ways to choose the base and height of the triangle.
Recall: The height of a triangle is the line segment that is perpendicular to the base (or an imaginary extension of the base) and connects the base (or that imaginary extension) to the vertex not on the base.
You may find both the line tool, the line segment tool, and the perpendicular line tool to be useful. Directions for all three tools are below.
Line Tool:
Click two points on the line. The Line Tool will draw the entire line that connects these two points.
Line Segment Tool:
Click two points that you want to be the endpoints of your line segment. The Line Segment tool will draw the line segment between these two points.
Perpendicular Line Tool:
Click a point you want to be on your perpendicular line. Then, click a line or line segment you want to draw the line perpendicular to. The Perpendicular Line tool will draw a perpendicular line.
Reflection:
What extra step did you need to take in two of the the triangles? Why was the height more difficult to find depending on your choice for the base?