Question

Derrick is placing a right triangle in the coordinate plane. He knows that the longer leg is 3 times the length of the shorter leg. He places the longer leg on the x-axis.

What coordinates should he assign to the third vertex of the triangle?

Answer 1

Longer leg is placed on X axis.

Let the longer leg be at A(0,0) and B(3 a,0),or (-3 a,0), which is either base or altitude.

AB= 3 a

As longer leg = 3 × shorter leg

Shorter leg should be placed either at (0,a) or (0,-a) maintaining triangle as right angled triangle.

Explanation: