Total: 5 out of 20

3.3.4 Practice: Modeling: The Pool Table Problem Practice

Geometry Sem 1 Name: Jihoon Cho

Points Possible:20
Date:

Your Assignment: Bank Shot!

Setting Up for the Shot

You're playing a game of pool and it's your turn, but you have no direct shots. To make any shot,
you will need to bank the cue ball (the white ball) off the side of the table before it hits your ball.

That means that you hit the cue ball so that it bounces off the side and then hits your colored
ball, moving it in the direction of a pocket (hole). The angle at which the ball hits the bumper is
equal to the angle at which it bounces off the bumper.

The cue ball is 18 inches from the top bumper (side of pool table) and 50 inches from the right
bumper. The dimensions of the pool table are 96 inches in the horizontal direction by 46
inches in the vertical direction.
Use the illustration of the table and what you know about similar triangles to plan your shot.

1. Which ball did you select? Red, yellow, or blue? (1 point: 1 point for selection)

+1
I chose red ball Good!

2. Construct a triangle by performing each of these steps. (6 points: 1 point for each step)

a. Label the cue (white) ball A. +3

triangle is drawn correctly but there are incorrect details
was stated to label the white ball as A, not B which is a different endpoint
endpoint C is labeled incorrectly (not the red ball)

b. Identify the pocket (hole) that you want your ball to go in. Label the center of this pocket E.
(Hint: Click on the ball in the image on the Pool Table Problem page to see how to make this

shot.)

c. Draw a line segment that starts at E, goes through the colored ball, and ends at the other side

of the table. Label the other endpoint of the segment C. on the image above

d. Draw a line segment from C to A (the cue ball). This segment will make the same angle with

the bumper as CE.

e. Draw a perpendicular line segment from A to the same bumper (side of table) C is on. Label

the endpoint B.

f. Complete triangle ABC by drawing the line segment BC.

3. Complete triangle CDE that is similar to ABC. Where does D need to be to create a similar

triangle? Label vertex D and mark the angles that have the same measure. (2 points)

+1
did not mark the two angles that are congruent

4. Assign a variable to name the length of BC and label it on your figure. To identify the lengths

of AB, CD, and DE, use the dimensions of the pool table. Some lengths will include a variable. (4

points: 1 point for each label)

+0
state the lengths here to be clearer because it is hard to follow on your
diagram as some are labeled incorrectly even when certain lengths are given

5. Use your similar triangles to set up a proportion. Solve this proportion for the unknown

variable, the length of BC. (5 points: 2 points for the proportion, 3 points for the work)
+0
left blank

6. To make your shot, you need the cue ball to hit point C. Find length CD and use it to identify

the location of C in relation to one of the corner pockets. For example, if C is on the upper
bumper, your answer might be: 15 inches to the right of the upper left pocket. Round your

answer to the nearest inch. (2 points: 1 point for distance, 1 point for location)

+0
slightly off
32 In did not answer question #5 so do not know how you determined 32 inches
did not state location