Construct squares on the legs of a triangle. Then the lines that join the midpoint of the base with the centers of the square are congruent and perpendicular.

Drag A

Compare the velocities of H and M.

BA is equal to sqrt of 2 times BH, rotated 45o. Therefore the velocity of A is equal to sqrt 2 times the velocity of H, rotated 45o. Same way for A and M (rotated 45o the other way).
Therefore the velocity of H is the same as the velocity of M, rotated 90o.
Therefore DH = DM rotated 90o plus a constant. To see that the constant is zero, let A coincide with D.

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Two squares on a triangle
Figure 10

Alfinio Flores
ASU


This is a prototype of JavaSketchpad, a World-Wide-Web component of The Geometer's Sketchpad. Copyright ©1990-1997 by Key Curriculum Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Portions of this work are being funded by the National Science Foundation (awards DMI 9561674 & 9623018).