Math Open Reference
| After doing this | Your work should look like this |
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We start with three given points. We will construct a circle that passes through all three. |
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1. (Optional*) Draw straight lines to create the line segments AB and BC. Any two pairs of the points will work. * We draw the two lines to make it clear when we later draw their perpendicular bisectors, but it is not strictly necessary for them to actually be there to do this. |
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| 2. Find the perpendicular bisector of one of the lines. See Constructing the Perpendicular Bisector of a Line Segment. |  |
| 3. Repeat for the other line. |  |
| 4. The point where these two perpendiculars intersect is the center of the circle we desire. |  |
| 5. Place the compass point on the intersection of the perpendiculars and set the compass width to one of the points A,B or C. Draw a circle that will pass through all three. |  |
| 6. Done. The circle drawn is the only circle that will pass through all three points. |  |