Investigate the relationships between the altitude drawn from the right angle and perpendicular to the opposite side and other segments of the original right triangle.
The altitude of a triangle is a segment with one endpoint on a vertex of a triangle and perpendicular to the opposite side.
In the figure, BD is an altitude of ΔABC because one endpoint is at vertex B and it is perpendicular to AC, the side opposite B.
In a right triangle, when the altitude is drawn from the vertex of the right angle to the hypotenuse, the segment creates a right triangle with segments that have special relationships to one another.
The investigation begins...
Use this link to look more closely at the three triangles (count ‘em again!) in right triangle ABC.
Answer the following in your notes.