how do you construct an altitude of a triangle??

Question

instructions please?

Answer 1

Let's assume the triangle has one side horizontal and the vertex opposite this side is above it, so it looks like a simple drawing of a hill. Put the compass point on the vertex (top of hill), extend the pencil point just past the base side of the triangle, and make an arc that intersects the base at 2 points. Then put the compass point at each of those points in turn and make arcs below the base that intersect. The line from the vertex through this intersection point will be perpendicular to the base of the triangle and therefore an altitude from the vertex.

Answer 2

Mathwise, the altitude (or height) of a triangle is found by first deciding which side of the triangle is your base. Then, the height is measured by taking the angle opposite the base and drawing a line from the vertex of this angle to the base so that this line is PERPENDICULAR to the base. Occasionally, this line can exist outside the triangle, but usually it is inside the triangle. The length of this perpendicular line is the altitude (height).

In the case where the perpendicular line is going outside of the triangle, it will not reach the base of the triangle itself. You must extend the base beyond the triangle. Then the perpendicular line will reach the extended line of the base.

Hope this helps.