Sorry

This answer is incorrect.

The first answer of "Equilateral Triangle" is not correct because a triangle with a 90 degree angle in it can never have three sides that are of equal length. The reason for this is because there is a direct relationship between the length of the sides and the size of the angle opposite that side. What this means is if all three sides of a triangle are the same size then all three of its angles would have to be the same size as well. Since all the angles of a triangle add up to 180 degress to have three which are the same size would mean that each angle would have to be 60 degrees. This relationship for equilateral triangles is always true reguardless of the length of the sides

image depicting a triangle with equal length sides and equal angles

The second answer of "Acute Triangle" is not correct because by definition an acute triangle is one in which every angle is less than 90 degrees. Therefore a triangle with one of its angles equal to 90 degrees can not be an acute triangle

The third answer of "Obtuse Triangle" is not correct because by definition an obtuse triangle is a triangle which has one angle greater than 90 degrees. Remember the sum of all the angles in a triangle have to add up to 180 degrees, and if one of the angle is greater than 90 degrees then there is less than 90 degress left for the other two angles to share. Therefore neither one of the remaining angles can be 90 degrees

 

Now let us try another one

Which term describes the angle ABC and angle DBE?

image depicting two intersecting lines at point B with point A at the left end and point E at the right end of one line, Point D at the left end and point C at the right end of the other line

 


Back to Proficiency Page
Please send any comments to:

Web Related: David.Mazza@grc.nasa.gov
Technology Related: Thomas.J.Benson@grc.nasa.gov
Responsible NASA Official: Theresa M. Scott (Acting)