Now that we know that the altitude of a right triangle is the geometric mean of the hypotenuse segments, we can use that property to solve problems.
Given: ΔPQR; QD ⊥ PR; PD = 3; DR = 15. Find QD.
Step 1: Label the parts of the figure by dragging the measures on the right to the appropriate segments.
Step 2: Set up a proportion using the geometric mean from the figure.
hypotenuse segment 1 altitude = altitude hypotenuse segment 2
Drag the appropriate measures from the figure into the blank proportion shown below.
Step 3: Solve the proportion.