Triangle Height vs Median: Identifying Key Line Segments in ABC Triangle
Question
ABC is a triangle.
Which of the lines is the height and which is the median?
Video Solution
Solution Steps
00:00Identify the height and the median
00:03A height creates a right angle with the line it intersects
00:07Therefore they are heights according to the given data
00:12A median bisects the line it meets
00:15Therefore BE is the median
00:18This is the solution
Step-by-Step Solution
To solve this problem, we need to correctly identify the height and median in the triangle ABC.
Step 1: Understand the Definitions
The height (or altitude) from a vertex of a triangle is a segment that is perpendicular to the line containing the opposite side. The median from a vertex is a segment that joins the vertex to the midpoint of the opposite side.
Step 2: Apply Definitions to Diagram
- Line AB connects vertex A to vertex B, forming a perpendicular segment to base BC. Hence, it is a height.
- Line EB connects vertex A to point E, the midpoint, dividing segment BC into two equal parts, thus acting as a median.
Step 3: Match to Answer Choices
Having sorted the segments as the height and the median, match our findings to the provided choices. The choice indicating that BC+AB is the height and EB is the median is correct.
Therefore, the solution to the problem is BC+AB= height, EB= median.