Final answer:
The inequality EF + FD > DE explains why these three segments cannot be used to construct a triangle.
Step-by-step explanation:
The inequality EF + FD > DE explains why these three segments cannot be used to construct a triangle.
In order for three segments to form a triangle, the sum of the lengths of any two sides must be greater than the length of the third side. However, in this case, the sum of EF and FD is not greater than DE, which violates the triangle inequality theorem.
For example, if EF = 4, FD = 3, and DE = 8, the inequality EF + FD > DE would be false since 4 + 3 = 7 is not greater than 8.