Summer Tuggle
Assignment
4
Centers of a Triangle
The Orthocenter (H) is the
intersection of the three altitudes of a triangle.
The type of triangle
determines where the orthocenter will be found.
In an
acute triangle the orthocenter will be found on the inside of the triangle as
in the picture below.
The
orthocenter is the vertex of the right angle in a right triangle because the
legs of the triangle are also 2 of the altitudes of the triangle.
In an
obtuse triangle, the orthocenter is located outside of the triangle. It will be found on the altitude of the
obtuse angle of the triangle.
It is
also interesting to note that the altitudes and the orthocenter form triangles
that have orthocenters related to the original
triangle. The triangle ACH has an
orthocenter at point B.
Likewise,
the triangle BCH has an orthocenter at point A.
And
triangle BHA will have an orthocenter at point C.
