A Tale of Three Intersecting Lines | FIO

Question 18

Construct a right-angled triangle ΔABC\Delta \text{ABC} with B=90\angle B = 90^\circ, AC=5 cm\text{AC} = 5 \text{ cm}. How many different triangles exist with these measurements?

[Hint: Note that the other measurements can take any values. Take AC\text{AC} as the base. What values can A\angle A and C\angle C take so that the other angle is 9090^\circ?]

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Solution
Understand the Question
  • In a right-angled triangle ΔABC\Delta \text{ABC} with B=90\angle B = 90^\circ, the hypotenuse is fixed as AC=5 cm\text{AC} = 5\text{ cm}.
  • The sum of the two acute angles must be A+C=90\angle A + \angle C = 90^\circ, and by Pythagoras theorem, the side lengths must satisfy AB2+BC2=52=25\text{AB}^2 + \text{BC}^2 = 5^2 = 25.
  • Since the angle A\angle A can take any real value between 00^\circ and 9090^\circ (or side AB\text{AB} can take any real value between 0 cm0\text{ cm} and 5 cm5\text{ cm}), there are infinitely many non-congruent right-angled triangles that can be constructed.

Step 1 · Establish Angle and Side Relations

Given B=90\angle B = 90^\circ and hypotenuse AC=5 cm\text{AC} = 5\text{ cm}.Diagram 1

By angle sum property in ΔABC\Delta \text{ABC}

A+C=180B=18090=90\begin{aligned} \angle A + \angle C &= 180^\circ - \angle B \\ &= 180^\circ - 90^\circ \\ &= 90^\circ \end{aligned}

By Pythagoras theorem

AB2+BC2=AC2=52=25\begin{aligned} \text{AB}^2 + \text{BC}^2 &= \text{AC}^2 \\ &= 5^2 \\ &= 25 \end{aligned}

Step 2 · Determine the Number of Possible Triangles

Any point BB on a semicircle of diameter AC=5 cm\text{AC} = 5\text{ cm} forms a right angle B=90\angle B = 90^\circ with radius:

Radius=5 cm2=2.5 cm\begin{aligned} \text{Radius} &= \dfrac{5 \text{ cm}}{2} \\[0.6em] &= 2.5 \text{ cm} \end{aligned}

For example:

  • If AB=3 cm\text{AB} = 3\text{ cm}:
32+BC2=259+BC2=25BC2=259BC2=16    BC=4 cm\begin{aligned} 3^2 + \text{BC}^2 &= 25 \\ 9 + \text{BC}^2 &= 25 \\ \text{BC}^2 &= 25 - 9 \\ \text{BC}^2 &= 16 \implies \text{BC} = 4 \text{ cm} \end{aligned}
  • If AB=4 cm\text{AB} = 4\text{ cm}:
42+BC2=2516+BC2=25BC2=2516BC2=9    BC=3 cm\begin{aligned} 4^2 + \text{BC}^2 &= 25 \\ 16 + \text{BC}^2 &= 25 \\ \text{BC}^2 &= 25 - 16 \\ \text{BC}^2 &= 9 \implies \text{BC} = 3 \text{ cm} \end{aligned}

Since AB\text{AB} can take any real value between 0 cm0\text{ cm} and 5 cm5\text{ cm}, each distinct value of AB\text{AB} yields a unique side length BC=25AB2\text{BC} = \sqrt{25 - \text{AB}^2}.

Therefore, infinitely many different triangles exist.

Answer

Infinitely many

Common Mistakes
  • Assuming Integer Sides Only: Assuming only integer right-triangle side lengths like 3 cm,4 cm,5 cm3\text{ cm}, 4\text{ cm}, 5\text{ cm} are allowed, rather than recognizing that side lengths and angles can be continuous real numbers.
  • Fixing Angle Values: Assuming that angles must be standard values like 30,45,6030^\circ, 45^\circ, 60^\circ, whereas A\angle A can take any real measure in the interval (0,90)(0^\circ, 90^\circ).

More questions in FIO

Q1

Use the points on the circle and/or the centre to form isosceles triangles.

Q2

Use the points on the circles and/or their centres to form isosceles and equilateral triangles. The circles are of the same size.

Q3

We checked by construction that there are no triangles having sidelengths 3 cm3\text{ cm}, 4 cm4\text{ cm} and 8 cm8\text{ cm}; and 2 cm2\text{ cm}, 3 cm3\text{ cm} and 6 cm6\text{ cm}. Check if you could have found this without trying to construct the triangle.

Q4

Can we say anything about the existence of a triangle for each of the following sets of lengths?

(a) 10 km10\text{ km}, 10 km10\text{ km} and 25 km25\text{ km}

(b) 5 mm5\text{ mm}, 10 mm10\text{ mm} and 20 mm20\text{ mm}

(c) 12 cm12\text{ cm}, 20 cm20\text{ cm} and 40 cm40\text{ cm}

Q5

Which of the following lengths can be the sidelengths of a triangle? Explain your answers. Note that for each set, the three lengths have the same unit of measure.

(a) 2,2,52, 2, 5 (b) 3,4,63, 4, 6 (c) 2,4,82, 4, 8 (d) 5,5,85, 5, 8 (e) 10,20,2510, 20, 25 (f) 10,20,3510, 20, 35 (g) 24,26,2824, 26, 28

Q6

Check if a triangle exists for each of the following set of lengths:

(a) 1, 100, 100

(b) 3, 6, 9

(c) 1, 1, 5

(d) 5, 10, 12

Q7

Does there exist an equilateral triangle with sides 50, 50, 50? In general, does there exist an equilateral triangle of any sidelength? Justify your answer.

Q8

For each of the following, give at least 5 possible values for the third length so there exists a triangle having these as sidelengths (decimal values could also be chosen):

(a) 11, 100100

(b) 55, 55

(c) 33, 77

See if you can describe all possible lengths of the third side in each case, so that a triangle exists with those sidelengths. For example, in case (a), all numbers strictly between 9999 and 101101 would be possible.

Q9

Construct triangles for the following measurements where the angle is included between the sides:

(a) 3 cm3\text{ cm}, 7575^\circ, 7 cm7\text{ cm}

(b) 6 cm6\text{ cm}, 2525^\circ, 3 cm3\text{ cm}

(c) 3 cm3\text{ cm}, 120120^\circ, 8 cm8\text{ cm}

Q10

Construct triangles for the following measurements:

(a) 7575^\circ, 5 cm5\text{ cm}, 7575^\circ

(b) 2525^\circ, 3 cm3\text{ cm}, 6060^\circ

(c) 120120^\circ, 6 cm6\text{ cm}, 3030^\circ

Q11

For each of the following angles, find another angle for which a triangle is (a) possible, (b) not possible. Find at least two different angles for each category:

(a) 3030^\circ

(b) 7070^\circ

(c) 5454^\circ

(d) 144144^\circ

Q12

Determine which of the following pairs can be the angles of a triangle and which cannot:

(a) 3535^\circ, 150150^\circ

(b) 7070^\circ, 3030^\circ

(c) 9090^\circ, 8585^\circ

(d) 5050^\circ, 150150^\circ

Q13

Find the third angle of a triangle (using a parallel line) when two of the angles are:

(a) 36,7236^\circ, 72^\circ

(b) 150,15150^\circ, 15^\circ

(c) 90,3090^\circ, 30^\circ

(d) 75,4575^\circ, 45^\circ

Q14

Can you construct a triangle all of whose angles are equal to 7070^\circ? If two of the angles are 7070^\circ what would the third angle be? If all the angles in a triangle have to be equal, then what must its measure be? Explore and find out.

Q15

Here is a triangle in which we know B=C\angle B = \angle C and A=50\angle A = 50^\circ. Can you find B\angle B and C\angle C?

Q16

Construct a triangle ABCABC with BC=5 cmBC = 5\text{ cm}, AB=6 cmAB = 6\text{ cm}, CA=5 cmCA = 5\text{ cm}. Construct an altitude from AA to BCBC.

Q17

Construct a triangle TRYTRY with RY=4 cmRY = 4\text{ cm}, TR=7 cmTR = 7\text{ cm}, R=140\angle R = 140^\circ. Construct an altitude from TT to RYRY.

Q18

Construct a right-angled triangle ΔABC\Delta \text{ABC} with B=90\angle B = 90^\circ, AC=5 cm\text{AC} = 5 \text{ cm}. How many different triangles exist with these measurements?

[Hint: Note that the other measurements can take any values. Take AC\text{AC} as the base. What values can A\angle A and C\angle C take so that the other angle is 9090^\circ?]

Q19

Through construction, explore if it is possible to construct an equilateral triangle that is: (i) right-angled (ii) obtuse-angled.

Also construct an isosceles triangle that is: (i) right-angled (ii) obtuse-angled.

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