12 March 2024

Week 11
2.3 Constructing Triangles and
Bisectors

Objective:
To be able to:
• Draw accurately triangles and bisectors
Mental Maths:
PERPENDICULAR
BISECTOR
ANGLE BISECTOR
THE PERPENDICULAR
FROM A POINT TO A LINE
THE PERPENDICULAR
THROUGH A POINT ON A LINE
 Constructing a 60° angle
• Draw one of the lines (preferably
horizontal).
• Set your compasses to the same
length as the line.
• Put the compass point on one end
of the line and draw an arc above
the line.
• Repeat with the compass point at
the other end.
• Draw a line joining one end of the 60°
first line to the point where the
arcs cross.
• Check your angle using a
protractor – it should be exactly
60°.
 Constructing an equilateral triangle
• Look back at the previous activity.
• Can you see how you could use
this to draw an equilateral
triangle?
• Firstly, make sure your first line is
the right length.
• Then follow the same method as
before… Done!
• Finally, just add the missing side.
• Don’t forget to check that all your 60°
sides are the same length!
(Check length)
 Constructing a triangle with sides of
specified lengths
• We are going to construct a
triangle with a 6cm base and the
other sides measuring 7cm and
5cm.
• First, draw a 6cm base line. )

5cm (
h
• Set the compasses to 7cm, put n gt
le
the point on one end of the base k

ch
c
he

eck le
line and draw an arc above the (c
line. 7c
m
Done!

ng
• Set the compasses to 5cm, put

th )
the point on the other end of the
base line and draw an arc above 6cm
the line. Your two arcs should
cross.
• Draw in the two missing sides and
check their lengths.
 Constructing a perpendicular bisector /
finding the mid-point of a line segment
• A perpendicular bisector is a line that cuts
another line in half at an angle of exactly 90°.
• Draw the line you want to bisect.
• Set your compasses to about ¾ the length of
the line (must be more than ½!).
• Put the compass point on one end of the line
and draw an arc above and below the line.
• Keeping the compass on the same setting, Mid-point
repeat with the compass point at the other
end. 
• Draw a line joining the two points where the
arcs cross. Same length 
• Check your angle with a protractor – it should
be exactly 90° – and check that both halves of
your first line are the same length.
• The point where the new line crosses is also
the mid-point of the original line.
 Constructing an angle bisector
• An angle bisector is a line that cuts an angle B
exactly in half. Both the
• Draw the angle you want to bisect – let’s call it same? 
ABC.
• Set your compasses to a little less than the
length of the shorter line.
• Put the compass point on point B and draw an
arc cutting each of the lines BA and BC. A
C
• Put the compass point on the point where the
arc crosses line BA and draw another arc
between the two lines (moving away from
point B).
• Keeping the compass on the same setting,
repeat with the compass point on the point
where the arc crosses line BC.
• Draw a line joining point B to the point where
these two arcs cross.
• Use a protractor to check that you have
bisected the angle accurately. Using what you’ve covered so far, how
would you construct a 30° angle?
 (Not IGCSE)

Constructing a rhombus
O
• This is very similar to the angle bisector method.

x
• Set your compasses to the side length you want
your rhombus to have.
• Put your compass point where you want one
end of the rhombus to be, and draw an arc.
• Draw in two radii; these will be the first two A
sides of your rhombus. B
• Keeping the compass on the same setting, put
the point on point A and draw another arc
(moving away from B). Same
length 
• Repeat with the compass point on B.
• Draw lines joining A and B to the point where
these two arcs cross.
• Check that all four sides of your rhombus are the
same length.

You could of course draw a rhombus with a 60°

or 30° angle at point O, using the techniques
shown earlier.
 (Not IGCSE)
Constructing the perpendicular from a given
point to a line
• The shortest distance from a point to a line is
always the perpendicular.
• Put the compass point on the line somewhere x
to the left of the point and the pencil point on
the given point…
• … and draw an arc above and below the line.
• Repeat with the compass point on the line
somewhere to the right of the given point
• Draw a line joining the two points where the 
arcs cross.
• Check your angle with a protractor – it should
be exactly 90°, so the new line is the
perpendicular from the point to the original
line.
• Alternatively, you could use the rhombus
construction method to do this – see if you can
work out how to adapt it.
 (Not IGCSE)
Constructing the perpendicular at a given
point on a line
• Put your compass point on the point required
and draw a circle that crosses the line on both
sides (in fact you only need these arcs, not the
whole circle).
• Set the compasses to a wider setting – the
diameter of your first circle works well.
• Put the compass point where one of the arcs
crosses the line and draw an arc above and
below the line (can get away with just above or
below if short of space). 
• With the compasses still on the same setting,
repeat on the other crossing point.
• Draw a line through the point on the line and
the point(s) where the arcs cross.
• Check your angle with a protractor – it should
be exactly 90°, so the new line is perpendicular
to the original line.
You can also use this approach to complete the task on the
previous slide (perpendicular from a point to a line).
 Exercise
Using only a ruler and compasses: B
1. On a sheet of A4 paper, see if you
can accurately construct this
triangle. (Hint: you may want to
extend line AC beyond C.)
2. When you’ve done that, bisect the
60° angle. The angle bisector cuts
line BC at point D. How long is line
segment CD?
3. Use trigonometry to work out the
lengths of AB, BC, AD and CD. Now
measure your lines to see how 60°
accurate your drawing is. C A
6cm

Extension: What is your percentage error on each of these

measurements?
CORE TASK 2.3:

A4-Sized Paper

Student Book (Y9 Maths Progress)

• Q2, p. 84
• Q2, p. 85
• Q4, p. 86
• Q6, p. 81