Triangle Side Investigation
- Author:
- asrichman
1. Use the blue slider to make the blue side 7 units long.
2. Use the green slider to make the green side 2 units long.
3. Use the red slider to make the red side 3 units long.
4. Move points C and C' to try to make a triangle.
Is it possible to make a triangle with side lengths 7, 2, and 3?
Not all combinations of sides can make a triangle. What has to be true about the red and green sides in order for them to form a triangle with a blue side that is 7 units long?
Can you make your answer to the question above into a general rule about the relationship between sides of triangles?
Could three segments of lengths 3, 6, and 2 form a triangle? Explain your thinking.
Test your conjecture on the sketch below.
Use the sliders to change the length of the sides to 3, 6, and 2.
On each segment, drag one point to move the segment and the other to rotate it.
Try to put the segments together to make a triangle.
Could three segments of lengths 8, 6, and 4 form a triangle? Explain your thinking.