Triangle Explorations

Materials Needed:

1. Triangle Worksheets

2. Geometers' Sketchpad Program

A. Triangle Construction

1. Please complete the following excercises, and use the information to fill in the worksheets provided by your instructor. Use Geometers' Sketchpad to construct a triangle.Label it ABC. This will be the triangle that you work with for the entire excercise.

2. Measure the angles of your triangle. Hint: Look at your worksheet. If you use the same notations, in the same order as the chart on your worksheet, you will find this excersize easier.Hint
3. Measure the segments of your triangle.
4. Measure the sum of angle ABC and angle BCA.
5. Measure the sum of all three angles

B. Right Triangle

Use Triangle ABC to create a right triangle. Select one vertice at a time and drag it around until you have created a right triangle.

Use your drawing to fill out the chart and record observations.

Right Triangle Observations: example of an observation

C. Isosceles Triangle

Use Triangle ABC to create an isosceles triangle. Select one vertice at a time and drag it around until you have created an isosceles triangle.

Use your drawing to fill out the chart and record observations.

Isosceles Triangle Observations:

D. Equilateral Triangle

Use your drawing to fill out the chart and record observations.

Equilateral Triangle Observations:

E. Scalene Triangle

Use your drawing to fill out the chart and record observations.

Scalene Triangle Observations:

Final Conjecture:

Did you notice anything that was true of all triangles? Use Geometer's Sketchpad to test your conjecture for any triangle you can create.

Teacher's Notes