Construct a right triangle of area 8 out of three other right triangles with areas 1, 3 and 4.

Construct an isosceles right triangle with legs of 4 units length for an area of 8, and bisect one of its legs. Connect that midpoint to the opposite vertex of the triangle, making a right triangle of area 4 and an obtuse triangle of area 4. Also erect a perpendicular from that midpoint to the hypotenuse of the first, largest triangle, thereby cutting the obtuse triangle into a right triangle of area 3 and a small isosceles rt. triangle of area 1.

Posted by Charlie on 2008-12-07 18:09:55