Search All of the Math Forum:
Views expressed in these public forums are not endorsed by
Drexel University or The Math Forum.
|
|
|
|
Calling all smart people
Posted:
Sep 27, 1996 7:21 PM
|
|
I've recently had a disagreement with a friend which so far has yet to be
settled. While watching last night's lunar eclipse, I mentioned that for one
brief instant the earth, sun and moon were aligned in a straight line. I went
on to say that only during solar and lunar eclipses do these three bodies not
form a triangle. She replied that they *always* form a triangle whether in a
straight line or not. We then argued about whether a line segment could be a
triangle (in that 2 of the 3 sides would have a length of 0.) I say that the 3
sides must have measurable length, or else it would wreak havoc when figuring
out sin, cos and tan measures for this theoretical line segment triangle. Can
someone provide a comprehensive definition of triangle...or just answer whether
a line segment can be a triangle? Thanks,
John
|
|
|
|
