Education Technology

Circumcenter and Incenter

Subject Area
Math: Geometry: Triangles
Level
9-12
Activity Time
60 Minutes
Software
TI Connect™
TI Calculator
TI-84 series
Other Materials
This is Activity 6 from the EXPLORATIONS Book:
Exploring The Basics Of Geometry With Cabri

Resource Types
Lessons

Circumcenter and Incenter

Activity Overview

In this activity, students examine the location of the circumcenter and incenter for different triangles.

Before the Activity

Install the Cabri™: Jr. App on the students' graphing calculators using one of these two methods:

  • TI-Connect™,  a TI Connectivity Cable, and the Unit-to-Unit Link Cable
  • TI-Navigator™  "send to class" feature
  • See the attached PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity
  • Print pages 23 - 25 from the attached PDF file for your class
  • During the Activity

    Distribute the pages to the class.

    Follow the Activity procedures:

  • Construct an acute triangle and label its vertices
  • Construct perpendicular bisectors of each side and observe that all perpendicular bisectors intersect in only one point
  • Determine the location of the circumcenter (the intersection point of the perpendicular bisectors)
  • Note that when the triangle is acute, the circumcenter lies inside the circle
  • Alter the triangle to create an obtuse triangle
  • Observe that when the triangle is obtuse, the circumcenter lies outside the circle
  • Alter the triangle to create a right triangle
  • Note that if a triangle is right, the circumcenter lies on the triangle


  • Create an acute triangle and construct angle bisectors of each angle
  • Observe that the angle bisectors of a triangle have only one point of intersection called the incenter
  • Determine the location of the incenter
  • Note that when the triangle is acute, the incenter lies inside the circle
  • Alter the triangle to create an obtuse triangle
  • Determine the location of the incenter
  • Alter the triangle to create a right triangle
  • Determine the location of the incenter
  • Note that for acute triangles, obtuse triangles, and right triangles, the incenter lies inside the triangle
  • After the Activity

    Review student results:

  • As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging
  • Re-teach concepts as necessary
  • Subject Area
    Math: Geometry: Triangles
    Level
    9-12
    Activity Time
    60 Minutes
    Software
    TI Connect™
    TI Calculator
    TI-84 series
    Other Materials
    This is Activity 6 from the EXPLORATIONS Book:
    Exploring The Basics Of Geometry With Cabri

    Resource Types
    Lessons
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