In this triangle, the side lengths are given. In the left column on the bottom, you will notice that sides a & b have been added together. Move the vertices around and have the sum of sides a & b equal the length of side c. What happened when you attempted to complete this task?
Generalize what you have discovered. If you are given three segment lengths, how can you tell if they form a triangle?
Can a triangle be formed if the lengths of three segments are 7, 10, & 19?
Can you form a triangle if the lengths of the segments are 2.3, 3.1, & 4.6?
Can a triangle be formed if the lengths of the segments of the triangle are n + 6, n[sup]2[/sup] -1, and 3n if n = 4?