11/18/22, 2:40 PM Printable instructions for drawing a 45 degree angle with compass and straightedge or ruler

Constructing a 45° angle

After doing this Your work should look like this

1.  Draw a line
segment which will
become one side of
the angle.
(Skip this
step if you are given
this line.) The exact
length is not
important. Label it PQ.
P will be the angle's
vertex.

In the next 3 steps we create the perpendicular bisector of PQ.

See Constructing a perpendicular bisector of a line segment

2.  Set the
compasses' width to
just over half the
length of the line
segment PQ.

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11/18/22, 2:40 PM Printable instructions for drawing a 45 degree angle with compass and straightedge or ruler

After doing this Your work should look like this

3.  With the
compasses' point on P
then Q, draw two arcs
that cross above and
below the line.

4.  Draw a line
between the two arc
intersections. This is
at right angles to PQ
and bisects it (divides
it in exactly half).

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11/18/22, 2:40 PM Printable instructions for drawing a 45 degree angle with compass and straightedge or ruler

After doing this Your work should look like this

5.  With the
compasses' point on
the intersection of PQ
and the perpendicular
just drawn, set the
compasses' width to P

6.  Draw an arc across

the perpendicular,
creating the point C

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11/18/22, 2:40 PM Printable instructions for drawing a 45 degree angle with compass and straightedge or ruler

After doing this Your work should look like this

7.  Draw a line from P

through C, and on a
little more. The end of
this line is point R

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11/18/22, 2:40 PM Printable instructions for drawing a 45 degree angle with compass and straightedge or ruler

After doing this Your work should look like this

8.  Done. The angle

∠QPR has a measure
of 45°

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