Set the length of the first segment to 5.0, and change the length of the second segment to 10.0. Now, change the length of the third segment.
- For what lengths of the third segment will a triangle be formed?
- For what values will the third line segment be too short to form a triangle?
- For what values will it be too long?
Now, change the first two segments to whatever lengths you like, and conduct the same investigation with the third segment. If necessary, repeat this several times until you identify a pattern.
Can you find a general rule that will let you determine whether or not a triangle can be formed, given any three segments?