Copy of Ratios of Line Segments Exploration
- Author:
- Beverly Kerner, Ben Graber
Use the applet below to explore the concept of breaking a line segment into equal, smaller portions or creating two parts with lengths of a given ratio.
1. To cut the line segment AB into five equal parts, where would you place the cuts? Consider both the horizontal distance between the points and the vertical distance between the two points; how would you divide these into five parts?
2. Which points on the line would break the segment into parts with a ratio of 2:3? This is equivalent to two parts that are two-fifths and three-fifths of the total line segment.
3. To cut the line segment AB into two equal parts, where would you place the cuts? Consider both the horizontal distance between the points and the vertical distance between the two points; how would you divide these into two parts?
4. Use the pattern observed above to generalize your findings. How could you break a line segment into n parts?