Bluebonnet Module 2 Topic 1 Lesson 5 Activity 5.4
Orthocenter
1. Construct the three altitudes of each triangle.
An altitude of a triangle is a line segment that is perpendicular to a side of the triangle and has one endpoint at the opposite vertex.
The point of concurrency of the three altitudes is called the orthocenter.
2. Location of the orthocenter.
Is the intersection located inside, outside, or on the triangle? Move points A, B, and C around to check for an acute triangle, an obtuse triangle, a right triangle, and an isosceles triangle.
3a.
Measure the distance from the orthocenter to each vertex of the triangle. Is the orthocenter always, sometimes, or never equidistant from each vertex of the triangle? Be certain to check each type of triangle.
3b.
Measure the perpendicular distance from the orthocenter to each side of the triangle. Is the orthocenter always, sometimes, or never equidistant from each side of the triangle? Be certain to check each type of triangle.