This page is designed to help provide support for Kate’s Jacob’s Geometry eCourse, a video supplement that walk students through Jacob’s Geometry in an engaging, visual/auditory way! View samples on MasterBooksAcademy.com.
Helpful Resources
- Free Online Graphing Calculators – These calculators can be used instead of a graphing calculator for this course. (It is recommended that college-bound students get a graphing calculator, however, so they are already familiar with using one.)
- Desmos (suggested, due to ease of identifying values and zooming in and out) – Note that you have to press the keyboard symbol in the bottom left to get a keyboard. Press y = and the values y equals, using x to stand for the independent variable. Use ^ to show exponents (use your right arrow to get back from an exponent to a regular value). Click on the graph of the curve itself to see the value at any particular point. Zoom in or out using the plus or minus signs. Add a second equation by clicking underneath where the first is typed and typing another one.
- Math Is Fun – Use ^ to show exponents; use the first line for inputting the first equation, and the second for the second.
Corrections/Clarifications
As I get questions about problems or discover errors, I will post clarifications or corrections here. If your question isn’t here and you’re taking the eCourse, please email me so I can get back with you on it (and add it here for others to learn from too).
Chapter 1, Summary and Review, Problem 2
Students may think the answer is planes, and all the polygons are indeed in different planes. However, in geometry, it’s really important to read very carefully and give precise answers, as we then build on those answers. The question was what kind of geometric figure. A plane is not a figure–if you look at page 9, you’ll see it make a point about how while it’s pictured as having edges, it really has no boundaries. So while the sides are in different planes, the figures they are are polygons. Make sure the understands that a plane doesn’t have boundaries.
Chapter 1, Summary and Review, Problem 9
Students may wonder why RO is being counted as an edge; the key here is in reading very carefully. The problem explains that the pattern can be used to form a cube. So in answering the question, it’s looking it at not as a flat figure (in which case RO wouldn’t be an edge) but as a cube (which you’d get if you folded it up).
Chapter 2, Algebra Review, Problem 26
Students who start by dividing both sides by x may think the problem is unsolvable, getting x + 7 = x. Dividing both sides by x works fine provided the unknown does not equal 0. Since we can’t divide by 0, it wouldn’t work to divide both sides by x if x = 0. Typically math books operate with the assumption that the unknown is not 0 and allow for dividing by an unknown. Here, though, was one of those rare exceptions where they made x equal to 0. If you ever come across an unsolvable result or a different answer than the Solutions Manual after dividing by an unknown, try solving another way (or plugging in 0 for the unknown) to see if perhaps the unknown is 0.
Chapter 3, Lesson 2, Problems 38-40
You may be tempted to write AC = BD as the answer to 38. Although that is a true statement, it’s not true because A-B-C. When the book is asking because A-B-C, it’s asking you to think through what you can conclude based on that information alone. A-B-C is a way of writing that B is between A and C. On page 86, we learned If A-B-C, then AB + BC = AC. So that’s why we can conclude that AC = AB + BC because A-B-C. The same thing for problem 39–we need to write down what we can conclude because B-C-D. Make sure you’re taking notes on what you learn so you can see what you can conclude because of something else. Geometry isn’t just about listing a true statement as is the case in other math courses–it’s about showing logically how that statement was arrived at, thus teaching critical thinking and deductive reasoning.
On #40, the question is why can we say that AB + BC equals BC + CD. Look closely at what happened and the properties on page 79. In the addition property, we’re concluding that if a = b, then a+ c = b + c. In other words, we have 2 equal quantities, and adding an equal quantity to both sides will not change that equality. It’s just a fancy way of stating what you’ve been doing in algebra already. But in the case of AB + BC = BC + CD, we’re starting with the answers to 38 and 39: AC = AB + BC and BD = BC + CD. We were told at the beginning that AC = BD. So we’d use substitution to substitute AB + BC for AC and BC + CD for BD.
Note that throughout this course, there are a lot of questions that build on the previous one. The curriculum is trying to break down thinking through logic step by step. But if you struggle on one part, you may end up getting the others wrong too. That’s why I don’t have the exercises count in grading–it’s assumed students will get a lot of the exercises wrong as they get a handle on the material. The goal is to learn so by the tests you’ve got it.
Chapter 3, Lesson 7, Problem 12
Don’t look at the lines that are next to each other, as they are not perpendicular. The picture here shows the 5 sets of perpendicular lines. (The green , pink ones, red ones, penciled ones, and blue ones are all perpendicular.)
Chapter 3, Summary and Review, Problem 19
Notice in the figure where I’ve marked all the information given (which is the first step to solving the problem). OB’s coordinate would be found by taking AOD minus BOD, not minus AOC. That gives 110-80, which equals 30.
Chapter 4, Lesson 6, Problem 35
Note that this is a tough problem, so I’m giving a hint here.
This problem is based on several that come before it. In order to reach these conclusions, as you go through the preceding problems, mark the figure with whatever information you learn at each step. So when you learn certain triangles are congruent, mark their corresponding angles and sides as congruent. Using different colors will help in long problems like this where the tick marks could get to be way too many otherwise. (Rather than using 2 tick marks for the second pair of angles you mark, just use a different color pencil.)
Now look at your notes (which are super important to be taking!) and go through everything you know about triangles, seeing what you can tell about these triangles. You can see in the markings that there are two angles in DEB that are green (so the same) and two in AEC that are red (and thus the same). Looking at your notes, what can you then conclude?
Chapter 4, Lesson 6, Problem 46
The image shows how AB was found using the Pythagorean theorem. The other measurements were obtained the same way.
Chapter 5, Lesson 2, Problem 47
If you are wondering why angle APC is greater than angle AXC, it’s because in problem 46 he extended line AP, essentially drawing AX and forming 3 triangles. Angle APC is an exterior angle to triangle PXC, which means it’s greater than both the interior angles, one of which is angle PXC. Angle PXC is an exterior angle to triangle AXB, which means that it is greater than both the interior angles in that triangle, one of which is angle B. By the transitive property, then, Angle APC is greater than angle B.
Chapter 5, Lesson 4, Problem 32
This is an alternate valid proof from a student (way to go, Isaac!): After the first three steps, you can say that AB + BC + CD + AC is greater than AC + AD using the Addition Theorem of Inequality. Then use subtraction (of AC) to prove that AB + BC + CD is greater than AD.
Chapter 5, Summary and Review, Problem 50
Here is an alternate valid proof based on one from a student (good job, Isaac):
1) AX + XB is greater than AB – Triangle Inequality Theorem
2) XB = XC – Given
3) AX + XC is greater than AB – Substitution
4) AX + XC = AC – Betweenness of Points Theorem
5) AC is greater than AB – Substitution
Chapter 6, Lesson 2, Problem 11
Students who list linear pair as the answer are correct; however, that answer doesn’t help us prove what we’re trying to prove in the next few problems. The questions are building to try to a conclusion in problem 12 that can only be established if we know that they are supplementary–that they add to 180 degrees–because one way we know that lines are parallel is that supplementary interior angles on the same side of a transversal (problem 13).
The Solutions Manual is using whichever definition is used in the next point it’s making–supplementary is used as part of the way to know lines are parallel in this case, so it’s being used.
In a proof, writing a linear pair here would be incorrect, as just knowing it’s a linear pair does not automatically lead to concluding the lines are parallel–you’d have to first say that a linear pair forms supplementary angles. The whole idea in geometry is to build step by step. While all linear pairs have supplementary angles, the definition of linear pair emphasizes the idea of a common side and opposite rays–that definition would be used in proofs where that’s what we need to show or where we plan on using another theorem or definition that uses linear pair. We’d use supplementary angle when trying to describe the angle sizes or where we plan on using another theorem or definition that uses supplementary angles, as was the case in this problem. While a linear pair answer can be counted as correct here, if you saw it on a test, in the future, when you get to a follow on question (like question 13) and see what the book was trying to prove, go back to your answer and adjust to supplementary.
Chapter 7, Lesson 5, Problems 46-51
To those who answered “ABCD is a trapezoid” for number 50, here’s a clarification. In an indirect proof, you assume the opposite of what you’re trying to prove (that’s your hypothesis) and look for a contradiction that shows that can’t be true. Here, in problem 46, we’re supposing that AC and DB bisect each other, which is the opposite of what we’re trying to prove. That’s our hypothesis. So while it is true that the answer to 49 contradicts what we were given that ABCD is a trapezoid, it also means that the hypothesis we assumed in 46 is incorrect, which is what we care about in this case. In an indirect proof, we’re assuming the opposite of what we’re trying to prove and then looking to prove that can’t be the case. We’ve shown that ABCD is not a trapezoid in problem 49; now, we’re stating that means that the hypothesis we had is false…which means that the opposite of it must be true.
Midterm Review, Problem 97
Chapter 9, Summary & Review, Problem 45
The problem should really include that the altitudes for triangles BDE and CFD as well and say that they are equal to BH and EG. If we knew that, then the Solution Manual’s steps would explain the answer.
Chapter 10, Lesson 1, Problem 47
Seeing the geometric mean is tricky when you’re dealing with fractions. However, since we know when simplified that F/G = 9/8 and G/A = 9/8, we know that F/G = G/A…which would mean that G is the geometric mean. We’re NOT saying that 9 or 8 is the geometric mean–the geometric mean is G, which is 2/3. We were able to figure out that it’s the geometric mean by seeing that the ratios formed a proportion, and since G was in the denominator of one and numerator of the other of two equal ratios, it’s the geometric mean. Note that if we were to insert the original values for F/G = G/A, we’d have 3/4/2/3 = 2/3/16/27. You can see then that 2/3 is the geometric mean. But we had to simplify the fractions down to 9/8 to see that they were indeed equal fractions.
Chapter 10, Lesson 2, Number 44
In problem 41, we set up a ratio between the sides of AO and the sides of A1, getting 1188/x = x/594 and solving the proportion in 42 to see that x was 840 mm. We could set up that proportion because we told that the sizes were similar.
We find the area of a rectangle by multiplying length times width, so we multiplied 1188 by 840, the value we found for x. We get 1188 x 840 = 997,920 mm2. That’s the answer in square milimeters, but the question asked for it in square meters. 1 meter = 1,000 milimeters, so we have to convert. 997,920 mm2 x 1 m/1,000 mm x 1 m/1,000 mm = approximately 1 m2 when you round.
Alternate Proof for Students Who Already Know About SSS Theorem from Other Material (Thank you, Isaac!)
Chapter 10, Algebra Review, Problems 21-23
On problem 21, The left hand side of the Solutions Manual shows 1) multiplying both sides by Rr1r2 and distributing the multiplication. When you multiply the left side by that, you end up with r1r2; the right side Rr2 + Rr1. 2) Here they’ve swapped sides of the equation to put R on the left AND factored out an R at the same time. They skipped showing the step of writing Rr2 + Rr1 = r1r2. 3) Divide both sides by r1 + r2.
Problem 22 follows similar steps to those above.
Problem 23, they multiplied both sides by vur and distributed the multiplication, continuing from there.
The general idea is that we multiply both sides by a common denominator, which we find by multiplying each of the denominators together (so RR1r2 in problems 21-22). Then we distributed the multiplication and simplify.
This skill was covered on pages 614-617 in Elementary Algebra. Do not stress over this if you used a different course that did not cover this. It is covered in Algebra 2 in more depth. Feel free to skip these problems if you don’t have Elementary Algebra to look back at and the above explanation is not sufficient.
Chapter 12, Lesson 4, Problem 189
This is an explanation of how this case could be proved in a similar way for those curious.
We’d draw PO (2 points determine a line) and continue it through point B.
< APB = <1 + <2 (Betweenness of rays theorem)
<APB = 1/2 mAC + 1/2mCB = 1/2 (mAC + 1/2mCB) (substitution based on what was proved in Case 1)
mAC + mCB = mAB (arc addition postulate)
<APB = 1/2mAB (substitution)
Chapter 12, Lesson 6, Problem 29 (Number 39 Is Similar)
This is an explanation of how the answer is obtained. Note that problem 39 follows similar reasoning.
Schedule
Day 124 should be
Watch Algebra Review: Graphing Linear Equations.
Complete exercises 1-20 on page 482.
Continue reviewing for test.
Day 125 should be
Take Test 11 on pages 81-84 (TG).
Review test results.
Help! I’m Struggling.
If you’re struggling through the first several chapters, take heart! It should get easier. Geometry requires training the brain in a lot of logic. Keep in mind that the problems are designed to be exercises and to stretch you! It is okay if you get some wrong–use the tests as your assessment. Here are few things to make sure you’re doing:
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- Make sure you’re taking notes in a way that you can easily find everything you know about a specific topic! More info on this is in the eCourse Downloads under Topical Notes.
- Make flashcards. (Whether on Index cards or using a site like Quizlet.com.) Becoming familiar with the definitions/postulates/theorems as you go is really important so you don’t get overwhelmed.
- Use the answers given in the back of the textbook to help you. Check those problems as you go and use them to help you on the other problems.
- Parents, you can give hints on some problems if needed. Avoid having the student look at the Solution Manual when trying to solve unless absolutely necessary. Hints would be more helpful in building their critical thinking skills.
- Use colored pencils to mark every piece of information you learn as you learn it. That way, when you’re asked to draw a conclusion, you can see visually all you know already. An example is given below from Chapter 4, Lesson 6, problem 35. (Rather than using 2 tick marks for the second pair of angles you mark, just use a different color pencil.)
- On true and false questions, remember you’re trying to decide if the statement is always true. If it’s not always true, then it’s a false statement, as you can’t make that conclusion all of the time. I know these questions are tough. Don’t give up and try to remember you’re trying to really think through the definitions and the theorems/postulates related to see if you can make the statements definitively or not. Often we’re using geometry to measure things (like objects in outer space) we can’t physically measure, so we need to know if we can safely make conclusions or not.
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