Bacharach

Altitude and Angle Bisector (extra credit)

1) Find p-L in terms of a and b. (1 quiz point)

2) Find x in terms of a and b. (1 quiz point)
3) Find the measure of θ to maximize p-L requiring that a<b.
(2 quiz points)

Some reminders to assist you:

a is the geometric mean of L and the whole hypotenuse.

z is the geometric mean of the two parts of the hypotenuse that it

splits up (not p and q which are split by angle bisector x)

a/p is equal to b/q by the triangle angle bisector theorem.

<file://C:\Documents and Settings\Steve Bacharach\My Documents\Agoura\Projects
and Worksheets\Altitude and Angle Bisector.gsp>

ab a b bp
z geometric mean;  q bis.thm.
a 2  b2 p q a

p  q  a 2  b2 seg.  pos.; a  l a 2  b2 geometric mean

2
 ab 
x2   p  l   
2
 pythag.thm.
 a 2  b2 

a a 2  b2 a2 ab b  a
p ;l  ; pl 
ab a 2  b2  a  b  a 2  b2
2ab
x
ab
let b  1 and find value of a to maximize p  l
also, this would make a  tan 
a  a  1 tan   tan   1
f  a  
 a  1 a 1
2
 tan   1 tan 2   1
tan 2   tan 
f  a 
 tan   1 sec 
a 4  3a 3  3a 2  3a  2
f  a   0  a  2 1
2   a  1  a  1 
3
 
2 2



   tan 1 2  1   22.5
8
