A Tale of Three Intersecting Lines | FIO

Question 5

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

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Solution
Understand the Question
  • According to the Triangle Inequality Theorem, the sum of any two sides of a triangle must be strictly greater than the third side.
  • A quick and sufficient test is to check whether the sum of the two shortest side lengths is greater than the longest side length: Shortest Side1+Shortest Side2>Longest Side\text{Shortest Side}_1 + \text{Shortest Side}_2 > \text{Longest Side}
  • If this condition holds true, the three lengths can form a triangle; otherwise, they cannot.

(a) 2,2,52, 2, 5

Step 1 · Check Triangle Inequality

Diagram 1

The two shortest lengths are 22 and 22, and the longest length is 55.

Sum of the two shortest sides: 2+2=42 + 2 = 4

Comparing with the longest side: 4>5(False)4 > 5 \quad (\text{False})

Since the sum is not greater than the third side, these lengths cannot form a triangle.

Answer

(a) No, 2,2,52, 2, 5 cannot be the sidelengths of a triangle.

(b) 3,4,63, 4, 6

Step 1 · Check Triangle Inequality

Diagram 2

The two shortest lengths are 33 and 44, and the longest length is 66.

Sum of the two shortest sides: 3+4=73 + 4 = 7

Comparing with the longest side: 7>6(True)7 > 6 \quad (\text{True})

Since the sum is greater than the third side, these lengths can form a triangle.

Answer

(b) Yes, 3,4,63, 4, 6 can be the sidelengths of a triangle.

(c) 2,4,82, 4, 8

Step 1 · Check Triangle Inequality

Diagram 3

The two shortest lengths are 22 and 44, and the longest length is 88.

Sum of the two shortest sides: 2+4=62 + 4 = 6

Comparing with the longest side: 6>8(False)6 > 8 \quad (\text{False})

Since the sum is not greater than the third side, these lengths cannot form a triangle.

Answer

(c) No, 2,4,82, 4, 8 cannot be the sidelengths of a triangle.

(d) 5,5,85, 5, 8

Step 1 · Check Triangle Inequality

Diagram 4

The two shortest lengths are 55 and 55, and the longest length is 88.

Sum of the two shortest sides: 5+5=105 + 5 = 10

Comparing with the longest side: 10>8(True)10 > 8 \quad (\text{True})

Since the sum is greater than the third side, these lengths can form a triangle.

Answer

(d) Yes, 5,5,85, 5, 8 can be the sidelengths of a triangle.

(e) 10,20,2510, 20, 25

Step 1 · Check Triangle Inequality

Diagram 5

The two shortest lengths are 1010 and 2020, and the longest length is 2525.

Sum of the two shortest sides: 10+20=3010 + 20 = 30

Comparing with the longest side: 30>25(True)30 > 25 \quad (\text{True})

Since the sum is greater than the third side, these lengths can form a triangle.

Answer

(e) Yes, 10,20,2510, 20, 25 can be the sidelengths of a triangle.

(f) 10,20,3510, 20, 35

Step 1 · Check Triangle Inequality

Diagram 6

The two shortest lengths are 1010 and 2020, and the longest length is 3535.

Sum of the two shortest sides: 10+20=3010 + 20 = 30

Comparing with the longest side: 30>35(False)30 > 35 \quad (\text{False})

Since the sum is not greater than the third side, these lengths cannot form a triangle.

Answer

(f) No, 10,20,3510, 20, 35 cannot be the sidelengths of a triangle.

(g) 24,26,2824, 26, 28

Step 1 · Check Triangle Inequality

Diagram 7

The two shortest lengths are 2424 and 2626, and the longest length is 2828.

Sum of the two shortest sides: 24+26=5024 + 26 = 50

Comparing with the longest side: 50>28(True)50 > 28 \quad (\text{True})

Since the sum is greater than the third side, these lengths can form a triangle.

Answer

(g) Yes, 24,26,2824, 26, 28 can be the sidelengths of a triangle.

Common Mistakes
  • Strict Inequality: Forgetting that the sum of the two shorter sides must be strictly greater than the longest side (a+b>ca + b > c), not greater than or equal to (a+bca + b \ge c). If a+b=ca + b = c, the sides lie flat as a straight line segment and cannot form a triangle.
  • Checking the Wrong Pair: Adding the longest side to a shorter side instead of adding the two shortest sides together.

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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