Question

Pete asks Buzz to make a triangular truss with sides that are 5 feet, 6 feet, and 9 feet. Is this enough information for Buzz to make a truss with the correct size and shape? Explain

Answer 1

Answer: Yes.

Explanation:

One of the criteria of congruence for triangles is SSS, this means that when we know that two triangles have all the same side lengths, the triangles are congruent. This would mean that all the triangles with the same side lengths are rotations or translations of the same triangle.

Then, when we know the measures of the 3 sides of a triangle, we have only one possible triangle to make, which would mean that Buzz has enough information to make a truss with the correct size and shape.