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Constructing an Equilateral Triangle
Geometry construction using a compass and straightedge
This page shows how to construct an
equilateral triangle
with compass and straightedge or ruler. An equilateral triangle is one with all three sides the same length. It begins with a given
line segment
which is the length of each side of the desired equilateral triangle.
It works because the compass width is not changed between drawing each side, guaranteeing they are all
congruent
(same length). It is similar to the
60 degree angle construction, because the
interior angles
of an equilateral triangle are all 60 degrees.
Printable step-by-step instructions
The above animation is available as a
printable step-by-step instruction sheet, which can be used for making handouts
or when a computer is not available.
Try it yourself
Click here for a printable worksheet containing two problems to try.
When you get to the page, use the browser print command to print as many as you wish. The printed output is not copyright.
Constructions pages on this site
Lines
Angles
Triangles
Triangle Centers
Circles, Arcs and Ellipses
Polygons
Non-Euclidean constructions
(C) 2009 Copyright Math Open Reference. All rights reserved
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