Copy a Segment Construction

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About This MicroSim

This interactive tutorial walks you through the classical compass and straightedge construction for copying a line segment. Each step is animated to show exactly how the construction works.

Construction Steps

Step	Action
1	Draw a ray from point C
2	Set compass radius equal to AB
3	Place compass point on C
4	Draw arc intersecting the ray at D
5	Complete! CD ≅ AB

How to Use

1. Click "Next" to advance through each step
2. Click "Previous" to go back and review
3. Click "Auto Play" to watch the full animation
4. Click "Reset" to start over

Why It Works

The compass preserves the distance from A to B. When we place the compass at C with the same radius and draw an arc, point D is exactly the same distance from C as B is from A.

Learning Objectives

• Perform the steps to copy a segment
• Understand why the construction creates congruent segments
• Apply compass and straightedge techniques

Bloom's Taxonomy Level

Applying and Understanding - Performing construction and explaining the process.

Iframe Embed Code

<iframe src="https://dmccreary.github.io/geometry-course/sims/copy-segment/main.html"
        height="602px"
        width="100%"
        scrolling="no"></iframe>