Education Technology

The Ladder Problem Revisited

Subject Area
Math: Geometry: Circles
Math: Geometry: Reasoning
Math: Geometry: Similarity and Proportion
Math: Geometry: Triangles
Level
9-12
Activity Time
45 Minutes
TI Calculator
TI-Nspire™ CX series
TI-Nspire Version
2.1
Resource Types
Lessons
Format
TNS

The Ladder Problem Revisited

Activity Overview

In this activity students explore the locus of mid-point of the hypotenuse of a fixed length geometrically and algebraically and discover that the median a right triangle is equal to half the length of the hypotenuse. Students then prove this property. The problem: A ladder leans upright against a wall that is perpendicular to the floor. A painter is standing at the midpoint of the ladder. If the bottom of the ladder begins to slide away from the wall, what path will his feet follow?

Before the Activity

Download attached file Ladder Revisited.doc and read through the activity before doing it in class with the students.

During the Activity

Download attached Ladder_Revisited.tns file and distribute it to the students.

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Download Files
Subject Area
Math: Geometry: Circles
Math: Geometry: Reasoning
Math: Geometry: Similarity and Proportion
Math: Geometry: Triangles
Level
9-12
Activity Time
45 Minutes
TI Calculator
TI-Nspire™ CX series
TI-Nspire Version
2.1
Resource Types
Lessons
Format
TNS
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