On a quadrilateral construct exterior squares on its sides.Then the lines connecting the centers of squares on opposite sides are congruent and perpendicular.

Drag B (segment AB will be dragged).

Compare the velocities of points X, K, and T.

DA is sqrt 2 DK rotated 45o. CB is sqrt 2 CT rotated 45o the other way. The velocity of segment AB (which is the same as the velocity of point X) is sqrt 2 the velocity of K rotated 45o, and equal to sqrt 2 the velocity of T rotated 45o the other way. Therefore PX = KT rotated 90o plus a constant. To see that the constant is zero, make A coincide with D.

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Squares on quadrilateral
Figure 13

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).