Math Problem Statement
The centroid of $\triangle ABC$ is $G$. Find $BG.$
[asy] unitsize (1 cm);
pair A, B, C, G;
A = (5,0); B = (0,0); C = (0,3); G = (A + B + C)/3;
draw(A--B--C--cycle); draw(A--G); draw(B--G); draw(C--G); draw(rightanglemark(A,B,C,8));
label("$A$", A, SE); label("$B$", B, SW); label("$C$", C, NW); label("$G$", G, NE); label("$3$", (C + G)/2, SW, red); label("$4$", interp(A,G,0.7), SW, red); [/asy]
Solution
We are tasked with finding , the distance between point and the centroid of .
Step 1: Coordinates of Points
The given coordinates of the vertices of the triangle are:
Step 2: Centroid Formula
The centroid of a triangle with vertices , , and is given by the formula: Substituting the coordinates of , , and :
Step 3: Distance Formula
The distance between two points and is given by: Using the coordinates and , we can calculate :
Thus, the distance is .
Would you like further details or have any questions?
Here are 5 related questions:
- What is the formula for finding the centroid of a triangle?
- How would you calculate the centroid if the triangle had different coordinates?
- How does the centroid divide each median in a triangle?
- Can you explain why the centroid lies inside the triangle for all triangles?
- What is the significance of the centroid in applications like physics (center of mass)?
Tip: The centroid divides each median of a triangle in the ratio 2:1, with the longer segment being closer to the vertex.
Ask a new question for Free
By Image
Drop file here or Click Here to upload
Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Coordinate Geometry
Triangles
Centroid
Distance Formula
Formulas
Centroid formula: G = ( (x1 + x2 + x3)/3, (y1 + y2 + y3)/3 )
Distance formula: d = sqrt((x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2)
Theorems
The centroid of a triangle divides each median in a 2:1 ratio.
The centroid is the intersection point of the medians of a triangle.
Suitable Grade Level
Grades 9-11