bonus algebra for geometry

Finding patterns
What do you think of my
new dress? It’s on sale.

I should probably not

mention how dizzy I feel
right now....

You’re probably thinking “Wait! This book is about geometry,

what’s this algebra business?” Well, there’s a lot of patterns in geometry,
and it turns out that once you spot those patterns, algebra can help you find quick
solutions to gnarly problems. We’ll start by speaking the same language with geometric
notation, and then figure out how to spot geometric patterns and use algebra’s X-factor
to find a simple formula for a complex pattern.

this is a new chapter   1

alex needs your help

Alex’s race is about to end before it begins

BEEP…Hey, it’s Alex—I really

need your help! I’m at the first
meet of the new windsurfing season, I just
Alex left you
busted a hole in my sail, and I’ve got way too
a voicemail, and
much going on right now! Can you order me a
he sure sounds
new one and get it shipped overnight? The
stressed out!
measurements are 2 meters and 2 point 6
meters, oh, and it’s a 38 degree, 52 degree
one…BEEP.

His windsurfer looks

like this.
Your buddy Alex is a rising star in the windsurfing
scene—but a hole in his sail at the first race could
trash his whole season. You’ve got the dimensions
and angles for the sail he needs—can you help him
by ordering the replacement and getting it shipped
out today?

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 algebra for geometry

Ordering a sail is simple, right?

You: Hi, I need to order a sail for overnight delivery—it’s for a
Hey, this is uh… windsurfer, and the measurements are 2 meters and 2 point 6
Sails Direct. How can I meters, with angles 38 degrees and 52 degrees.
help you today?
Sails guy: No problem. Let me just look in the warehouse…
Sails guy: …ok, bear with me, I’m new here. We have like two
different sails that fit those numbers. One is kind of bigger than
the other.…
You: What? They’re both 2m and 2.6m and 52º and 38º? How
does that work? How can one be bigger?
Sails guy: I’m real sorry. I only started last week and it’s a
Saturday and the manager is off sick and I’m the only one here.
And I don’t really know a lot about our inventory yet. Can it wait
til tomorrow?
You: I don’t think so—it needs to ship today. Wow. That’s
confusing—definitely two sails with those dimensions and angles
on them, and one’s bigger than the other?
Sails guy: Yeah—that’s exactly it. I wish I could explain it
better. Sorry.…

The sails employee says that he has two sails which both have the same
angles—38º and 52º—and both have one side 2m long and another
side 2.6m long. Is that really possible? Try adding those angles and
dimensions to the two diagrams below to see how the two sails could
be different.

The sails all have a right

angle at this corner.

Hint: They’re not just upside-down versions of each other!

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they are different

2. The sails employee says that he has two sails which both have the same
angles—38º and 52º—and both have one side 2m long and another
side 2.6m long. Is that really possible? Try adding those angles and
dimensions to the two diagrams below to see how the two sails could be
different.

38º 2.6m 38º 2m

2.6m

52º 2m 52º

The difference between the sails is

which side is 2.6m and 2m.

Are the sails really not the same?

Surely with three angles the same and two lengths the same, the
two triangles have to be congruent—not just the same angles but
the same size as well? So how can they be different sizes?

38º
2.6m 38º
2.6m
2m
52º 52º
2m

The difference between the sails is which of the sides is 2.6m

versus 2m—so while the sails both have 38º and 52º angles, and
both have sides of 2.6m and 2m, they’re not identical.

4   Bonus chapter

 algebra for geometry

This is a bad time for confusion

BEEP—Hey, it’s Alex again. Got your message

about the sail situation. What a nightmare! Well, my
sail has the 38 degree angle at the top, and my mast is
2.6 meters but…if the dude didn’t ask about my mast
then I guess he really doesn’t know that stuff yet. Can
you explain it to him? I really can’t miss this race—
thanks!—BEEP

Alex has given you more information about his sail,

but that’s only half your problem. Even once you’ve
worked out for yourself exactly which sail Alex needs,
you’ve then got to get that information across to the
sails store in a way that doesn’t allow for any (more)
confusion.

First sketch the sail that Alex needs and label the sides and angles
that you know. Then think about how you could communicate
that information to the sails guy (over the phone), and check the
box(es) below next to the technique you could use to do that.

This sketch A ruler Angles

Points Sides Rhyming verse

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label your points

First sketch the sail that Alex needs and label the sides and
angles that you know. Then think about how you could
communicate that information to the sails store (over the phone),
and check the box(es) below next to the technique you could use
to do that.

38º
2m
2.6m

You can’t send your sketch, but it’s 52º

still useful—extra credit if you
chose this.
This sketch A ruler Angles

Points Sides Rhyming verse

Alex’s sail shape has points, sides Not required, but if you do write one then
and angles—so let’s use them! please send it in to headfirstlabs.com!

Even on the phone, a sketch is still useful

Although you can only talk to the sails store guy on the phone, and A
he can’t see what you’re drawing, a sketch is still the best place to
start. You can use it to work out for yourself exactly what you
need.
The two sails are not the same because of different arrangments
of the side lengths and angles. Let’s start by identifying the points
where the sides join to form the angles.
B

Avoid confusion by using

different letters to C
identify different points.

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 algebra for geometry

Use your labeled points

to identify lines and angles
Once your points are labeled, you can easily combine them to
describe exactly which side, line, or angle you’re talking about. A
side running from point A to point B is called side (or line segment)
AB, and the angle made where sides AC and BC meet is called
angle ∠ACB.

We call this side AB

We call this side AC Check out the little

B annotations over the lines,
and next to the angles.

We call this angle ∠ACB

C

How would you label each of these?

The side that is 2m long.

The angle that is 38º

The angle that must be 90º

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sharpen solution

How would you label each of these?

The line that is 2m long AB

..............................................

The angle that is 38º BAC

...................................................

The angle that must be 90º ABC

...........................................

Q: Does it matter if I put ∠CBA instead of ∠ABC? Q: What if I have a line segment AB and a line segment CD
and they cross? How do I label the angles and bits of lines so
A: It only matters if you’re worried about direction—like if that they’re not all called the same?
you wanted to specify that something was turning clockwise or
counterclockwise. Otherwise either is just fine. A: Good question. In a situation like this, you need to start

Q: adding what we call “supporting” points. It may not be marked on

Do I have to use A, B, C etc to label the points, or will the diagram but there’s also a point where the lines cross. If you
any letters do? call that point E then you can refer to your line segments as AE, EB,
CE and ED, and your angles ∠AEC and so on.
A: You can use any letters you want as long as each point has a
different letter. You could even use other symbols—but not usually A
numbers because that would get confusing. Sometimes people
D
choose letters which are relevant, like they might label the points on
a baseball diamond B, A, S and E.

Q: What if there aren’t any obvious points, only lines?

E

A: You can add points at the starts, ends and intersections of

line segments for yourself, and label them as normal.
B
C
If you add a labeled point here
then you can refer to angles and
line segments more clearly.
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 algebra for geometry

Conversation Magnets
OK—time to get rid of all this confusion. Call the sail company and
make sure they send over the right sail for Alex’s board. Use the
magnets to perfect your instructions.

“Ready? Draw a triangle in front of you and label the points A, B,

and C.

I need side to be 2.6 meters long.

A

I need side to be meters long. 38º 2m

I need angle to be 38º. 2.6m

B

I need angle to be 52º.

52º
I need angle to be . C
And that’s it! Did that make sense?”

BAC
ACB
ABC

AB
AC CD
2
120º
ACD
3
90º

BC

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conversation magnets solution

Conversation Magnets Solution

OK—time to get rid of all this confusion. Call the sail company and
make sure they send over the right sail for Alex’s board. Use the
magnets to perfect your instructions.

“Ready? Draw a triangle in front of you and label the points A, B, and C.

I need side AC to be 2.6 meters long. A

I need side AB to be 2 meters long. 38º 2m

I need angle BAC to be 38º. 2.6m

B
I need angle ACB to be 52º.
52º
I need angle ABC to be 90º.
C
And that’s it! Did that make sense?”

CD

120º
3
ACD

BC

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 algebra for geometry

Ah! Cool, I know exactly which

model you need. I’ll get it sent
next day air right away.

Thank goodness for overnight shipping! By using

letters to pinpoint the lengths and angles of the
sail, you made certain that even the newbie at the
sail store knows what to send you. Now you can
be sure that the right sail is on the way.

The next morning…

A perfect fit! Thanks so much
for explaining exactly what I
needed. I could really use a
smart resourceful person like
you for a manager—would you
be up for that?

One windsurfer
sail, ready to race

Alex

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play to alex’s strengths

Alex needs to pick a race he can win

At the race, Alex gets a choice of which course he wants to race
on, each of which is a different shape and size. Normally he’d do
a few practice laps beforehand, but because of the sail confusion
he hasn’t had a chance—can you help him work out which race is
his best opportunity to win?

Some racers are quicker at

going straight, and some are
quicker at turning—we each have
our different strengths. I’d like
to pick a course where I can make
the most of what I’m good at!

5
The racers start
and finish in the
middle of a side.

The windsurfers make

a turn at each corner.

How fast Alex’s

Alex knows his own average speeds windsurfer travels
when going straight
He’s done some quick tests with his new sail, so although he
(4 meters per second).
hasn’t raced on any of the courses, Alex knows what his own
speed is on the straights and how quickly he can make his
turns.
How many seconds it
10:24 takes Alex to turn
180º- 90º takes half
as long and so on....
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 algebra for geometry

The courses are different shapes and sizes

The courses are different lengths and have a different number of turns,
and that’s where the racers’ individual strengths and skills really make Start & Finish
a difference.

Course 1 Course 2 Course 3

108º 120º
28m 22m 20m
Each side of the course
On each course the straight parts are all the same length, and each is one leg length, and it’s
corner is the same angle. The race organizers have posted the average the same for every leg.
times from last year, too. Alex wants to race on the course where his
time is likely to be faster than the average racer.

Course statistics
Legs Leg length Corner angle Course average time
1 4 28m 90º 44.5 seconds

2 5 22m 108º 48.2 seconds

3 6 20m 120º 58.4 seconds

Each course is different. What do you need to consider about

each one in order to work out what Alex’s course time would
probably be? Check all that apply:

The number of competitors The total distance

The total turn The position of the start and finish

How fast other competitors are The size of Alex’s sail

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sharpen solution

Each course is different. What do you need to consider about

each course in order to work out what Alex’s course time would
probably be? Check all that apply:

The number of competitors The total distance

The total turn The position of the start and finish

How fast other competitors are The size of Alex’s sail

Alex’s course time is made up of the time he spends going

straight along the sides (legs) of the course, and the time Start & Finish
he spends turning at the corners.
Because the start and finish is in the middle of a leg, we
know that the racers have to complete every turn on the
course as well as all the straight parts. Course 3
The other competitors don’t change how long it takes
HIM to get around the course, and the size of his sail has 120º
already been taken into account with his new test times. 20m

Q: But you totally ignored wind speed, wind direction, the currents
on the water and a whole bunch of other stuff which affects how fast
Alex travels on the water. Don’t you think this is a bit unrealistic?

A: True—there’s a lot more complexity to this in the real world, but that
doesn’t mean that these simple calculations aren’t worth doing. We’re
not trying to work out what Alex’s time is, just which race he has the best
chance off doing well in. All the other competitors will also be subject to
the same wind conditions, so it’s still a useful guide to where Alex might be
most successful.

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 algebra for geometry

Course time = time going straight + time turning

Alex knows that if he does his best then he can sail straight at
his top speed of 4 meters per second and make a 180º turn in
10.24 seconds. From the course statistics, you can work out the
total turn Alex needs to make, the total distance he needs to
cover, and how long it should take him to do each.

OK, so to find the total turn in

the course, I need to add up all those
corner turns. So, for the six-turn course,
that’s six turns of 120º, which makes two
whole 360º turns. Wow—that’s weird, it
sure felt like a lot less than that last time
I sailed a six-turn course!

The hexagon course has

six corners, 120º each. Course 3

120º

Is Alex crazy for feeling like he turns less than 720º when he sails
around a hexagon course? What does the corner angle listed for
the course tell us about how much Alex has to turn at each corner?

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it’s all about the exterior angle

The turn angle isn’t the same as the course angle

The course angle is the interior angle of the corner, but since Alex is going around the outside, he
actually turns around the exterior angle of the corner. Together, the two corners form a straight
line, or 180º.

180
The course angle is
This is the This is the angle the interior angle
direction Alex is Alex needs to turn. (120º).
headed in when he It’s the exterior
reaches the turn. angle.
Each turn angle is the
supplement of the course angle:
So the bigger the course 180—the course angle.
angle, the smaller the turn
Alex needs to make at each
corner?

Yes!
Although we normally think of “tight” as being small, a
tight turn, or a small course (interior) angle, is actually a
really big change in direction.

If you’re going in …and you turn to …this angle is how

this direction… go this direction… much you turn.

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 algebra for geometry

Use the course statistics and Alex’s test results to work out what Alex’s time for each course is
likely to be. Which race should Alex enter if he wants the best chance of winning?

Course 1 Course 2 Course 3

108 120
28m 22m 20m

Alex can do 4 It takes him 10.24

meters per second
10:24 seconds to turn 180º
on the straight Don’t forget to divide the
total turn by 180º to find
out how long it takes him
Course statistics
Legs Leg length Corner angle Course average time

1 4 28m 90º 44.5 seconds

2 5 22m 108º 48.2 seconds

3 6 20m 120º 58.4 seconds

your answers
You’ll need some paper to finishroom to work.
here—give yourself plenty of

you are here 4   17

exercise solution

n Use the course statistics and Alex’s test results to work out what Alex’s time for each course is
likely to be. Which race should Alex enter if he wants the best chance of winning?

Course 1 Course 2 Course 3

108º 120º
28m 22m 20m

Alex can do 4 It takes him 10.24

meters per second
10:24 seconds to turn 180º
on the straight

Course statistics
Legs Leg length Corner angle Course average time
1 4 28m 90º 44.5 seconds

2 5 22m 108º 48.2 seconds

3 6 20m 120º 58.4 seconds

Alex’s advantage = Course average - Alex’s course time

Alex’s course time = Total time on all the + Total time to

straight legs do the turns

Total distance Total turn angle x time to turn 180º This is the method
= + for working out
speed 180º
each course time.

Number of legs x leg length + Number of turns x turn angle x 10.24 seconds
=
4 meters per second 180º

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 algebra for geometry

Course 1 Turn angle = 180º - course angle = 180º - 90º = 90º

= Number of legs x leg length + Number of turns x turn angle x 10.24 seconds
4 meters per second 180º

4s x 28m 4 x 90 x 10.24 seconds

= +
4 meters per second 180º

= 28 seconds + 20.48 seconds = 48.48 seconds

Course average is 44.5 seconds, so Alex would be 3.98 seconds SLOWER than average

Course 2 Turn angle = 180º - course angle = 180º - 108º = 72º

= 5s x 22m + 5 x 72º x 10.24 seconds

4 meters per second 180º

= 27.5 seconds + 20.48 seconds = 47.98 seconds

Course average is 48.2 seconds, so Alex would be 0.22 seconds FASTER than average

Course 3 Turn angle = 180º - course angle = 180º - 120º = 60º

= 6s x 20m + 6 x 60º x 10.24 seconds

4 meters per second 180º

= 30 seconds + 20.48 seconds = 50.48 seconds

Course average is 54.8 seconds, so Alex would be 4.32 seconds FASTER than average

Alex’s best chance is to race on Course 3 because this is the course on which he has an
estimated 4 second advantage.

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the race is on

Over at course 3, the race is on!

And Alex is heading for the finish line in the lead.…
48:24

5
8
2

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 algebra for geometry

Alex gets first place!

Great work! Alex sure did his part, but That was great—
you get some of the credit for helping thanks SO much for
him pick the best course! picking a good race for me. I’ve
got a shot at sponsorship now,
but to get signed I’ll need to stay
at the top of the series. So—can
you choose all the best races for
me?

2 nd 1st 3rd

While Alex still has to actually perform well to

win his races, choosing courses which play to
his strengths gives him a real advantage.

You’ve worked your magic once,

so surely you can do it again?

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that’s a lot of races

There’s just one thing…

Choosing the best race wasn’t so hard, was it? There were a bunch
of calculations to do, but repeating it a few times more should be no
sweat, right?

So ah…I forgot to mention

that there are 59 races left
this season. But you can handle
that, can’t you?

59 races? Seriously?
It’s certainly possible, but
wouldn’t it be kind of nice
to have some fun yourself as
well? That Wii doesn’t just
play itself you know.…

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 algebra for geometry

Sometimes the problem is how to

approach the problem…
At first, when Alex was trying to get the right sail, he needed a more
specific answer to his problem. He didn’t just need a sail with angles
38-52-90º and a side 2.6m and a side 2m—he needed a specific one
that fit his windsurfer.

Pool of sails which have

angles 38º, 53º, 90º,
and side 2m and 2.6m.
You helped Alex
make sure he had
38º THIS specific sail.
2.6m 38º
2.6m
2m
52º 52º
2m

If all the items in the pool fit a description, then picking one,
unique item from that pool is about finding a specific solution
to a problem. And to find a specific solution to Alex’s problem
about choosing courses for 59 meets, you’d have to do hundreds of
individual calculations.…

22 seconds + .48 seconds

20.48 seconds 50
= 4So
2.4 8 os
n ed
c s
o +
n 19 .2 2 seconds =
sec
30specific
maybe ds
finding all the
solutions to
ondsproblem isn’t the
0.32 secAlex’s
19.32 s econds = 4 best approach?
21 seconds +
31 seconds + 26.47 seconds = 57.47 seconds

34 seconds + 17.53 seconds = 51.53 seconds 8 seconds

conds = 50.4
30 secon ds + 19.22 se you are here 4   23
find a general solution

We need a LESS specific answer

Alex needs to know how much faster or slower than the course
average he is probably going to be at any given meet. The
specific answers to that question depend upon the individual
courses, but we can gather all those specific examples into a
pool, just like the pool of possible sails that might fit Alex’s
windsurfer.
Pool of answers about how much faster or slower
than average Alex should be.

There could be 200 or Each of these is a spe

more of these specific that Alex could race oncific course
courses! .

Alex’s question, “How much faster or slower

than average will I be on this course?”, is
answered once by each set of calculations
you’d have to do for each course.

But the pool contains ALL those answers.

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 algebra for geometry

Forget 200 calculations—just look for the pattern

You may not have noticed you were even doing it, but when you calculated Alex’s course
times for his first meet, you used a pattern:

You did the same thing three separate times—once for each course.

Course 1 Course 2 Course 3

108 120

28m 22m 20m

This is the pattern
you used.

Alex’s course time = Total time on all the + Total time to

straight legs do the turns

Alex’s advantage = Course average - Alex’s course time

Alex would b
e 3.74 seco
nds SLOWE A t h a n average
lR
R than aver ds FASTE ex would b
seconage e 4.32
uld be 0.22 seconds FAS
Alex wo TER th
an aver
age

You already know the pattern Alex needs you to work out for ALL the course
times in the pool. But how can you represent that pattern in a repeatable way?

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algebra is all about patterns

Algebra is shorthand for describing patterns

Don’t panic! Mixing geometry and algebra might be the stuff of your
nightmares, but really algebra is just a way of noting down patterns of any kind,
and geometry patterns are no different.

5 dogs, 20 legs 3 dogs, 12 legs

L = 4D This pattern describes

L represents the number of the number of legs on
legs and D represents the ANY group of dogs.
number of dogs. In Algebra, 4D is just the same
as writing 4 x D.

100 100 100 100

100 100 500 500 500
100 100 500 500
8 aliens, 100 points per alien = 800 points 5 aliens, 500 points per alien = 2500 points

S = score S=AxP This pattern represents the number

A = number of aliens killed of points scored in a computer game
P = points per alien where you have to kill aliens.

A little rusty on your algebra?

We’ll support you every x, y, and
z of the way, but if you want to refresh your
X-Factor you should check out Head First
Algebra—it won’t hurt a bit!

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 algebra for geometry

Match each pattern to the algebra equation that describes it.

(Answers are upside down at the bottom of this page.)

Patterns Equations

1. The total running time of all the episodes of

your favorite TV show. C = M-3D

2. The change leftover after buying

some drinks at $3 each. A = 360/F

3. The angle of your slice of pizza, when you

split it evenly with your friends (one slice each). R=ExT

But reading a
pattern and working out
what it means is one thing—
creating a pattern from
scratch sounds WAY harder!

But is it really?
Don’t worry—the best way to tackle
this is definitely to Panic.…

(Change, Money, Drinks), 3 = A (Angle, 360º, number of Friends)

Answers: 1 = R, (Running time, Episodes, Time per episode), 2 = C

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panic then relax

equation Construction zone

To create your equation just PaniC and then RelaX

That panic is gonna come in useful, because it captures the first
two important steps in creating your geometry pattern.

P a n i c
What’s changing
What;s the purpose between specific
of my pattern? things in my pool?

Need to describe the number of points The points you get for each alien
scored in a computer game where you you kill (some are worth more
have to kill aliens. than others). Also, the number of
aliens killed will vary.

100 100 100 100

100 100 500 500 500
100 100 500 500
8 aliens, 100 points per alien = 800 points 5 aliens, 500 points per alien = 2500 points

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 algebra for geometry

R e l a x
What’s the Relationship Add the X-factor
between the factors by substituting
that are changing and letters for words
my pattern’s purpose?

Score = number of aliens x

points per alien.
S=AxP

S = Score
A = Number of aliens killed
P = Points per alien

(That wasn’t so painful, was it?)

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what’s the purpose?
P a n i c R e l a x
First of all, let’s deal with
the PaniC
Alex wants to know which races he’s most likely
to win at each meet, and you want to avoid doing
hundreds of calculations to help him do that! So,
let’s start with finding the purpose of the pattern
I know it’s no guarantee I’ll
and what’s changing between the specific things
win the race, but if I can pick
in the pattern pool.
the races where I’m gonna do
better than average then I’ve
got a great chance!

S=AxP
A good tip: The …and the stuff
purpose of our that’s changing
pattern usually goes usually ends up
over here on the left over here on the
side of the equation… right side of the
equation.
L = 4D
Alex is realistic
but hopeful; we like
that about him.

What’s the purpose of Alex’s pattern?

(Answer on pg 32)

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 algebra for geometry
P a n i c R e l a x
Then look at what’s changing
The courses have plenty in common—like they’re all on water for
starters. But Alex’s performance is affected by their differences,
so we need to look for what’s changing from course to course.
Pattern pool

Each of these is a specific

course that Alex could
race on.

Course statistics
Legs Leg length Corner angle Course average time
1 4 28m 90º 44.5 seconds

2 5 22m 108º 48.2 seconds

3 6 20m 120º 58.4 seconds

What five factors are changing from course to course?

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just relax
P a n i c R e l a x

What’s the purpose of Alex’s pattern?

To find Alex’s advantage—how much faster or slower he is likely to

be compared to the course

What five factors are changing from course to course?

1. The length of each leg 4. The number of legs

2. The number of turns 5. The course average time
3. The turn angle

…and now just RelaX

So far, you know the purpose, and you know what’s changing. Now
you need to think about the relationship between those changes
and the purpose of your pattern.

What about stuff

like the course location
or how big the club house
is? Do we leave that out
because it doesn’t change
Alex’s performance?

Anything that doesn’t impact the purpose isn’t

important and you can ignore it.
This is the important part that you already did when you picked
Alex’s first race…you just didn’t realize it yet!

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 algebra for geometry
P a n i c R e l a x
Word Equation Magnets
Complete the word equation to explain the relationship between
your pattern’s purpose and the factors that are changing. Alex’s
speed going straight is 4 meters per second, and he can turn 180º in
10.24 seconds. Make sure you use each magnet once and only once.

Alex’s -
advantage = ?

10.24
? x ? ? - ? x ? x seconds

+
? ?

Course Number
leg Number angle of turns
length of legs

180º
180º Course 4 meters per
average time second

you are here 4   33

word magnets solution
P a n i c R e l a x
Word Equation Magnets Solution
Complete the word equation to explain the relationship between
your pattern’s purpose and the factors that are changing. Alex’s
speed going straight is 4 meters per second, and he can turn 180º in
10.24 seconds. Make sure you use each magnet once and only once.

Alex’s
= Course average
? -
advantage time

leg Number - Course x Number x 10.24

?
length
x of? legs 180º ?
angle
?
of turns seconds
+
4 meters per 180º
? This part here finds the
second
exterior angle.

So that looks pretty fancy,

but it doesn’t really seem quite
like algebra to me. It’s just a
bunch of words....

34   Bonus chapter

 algebra for geometry
P a n i c R e l a x
Add the X-Factor to make real algebra
In algebra, letters are just substitutes for words or things. They can
be any letter you like, but it’s handy to pick ones which remind us of
the thing they’re standing in for. Like D for number of Dogs, M for
amount of Money, or R for total Running time.
We only need to substitute the things which are changing between
courses, so the numbers in that word equation—180º, 10.24 seconds,
4 meters per second—can stay just as they are.

Let’s go with:

Alex’s time Course average Leg Number Course

advantage time length of legs angle

T C L N A

Picking this letter

was tricky!

What letter would you choose to substitute for

Number of turns? Can we use N again? Why? Number
of turns

you are here 4   35

picking your letters
P a n i c R e l a x

Solution
What letter would you choose to substitute for
Number of turns? Can we use N again? Why? Number
of turns
We can use N again if we want because the number of
turns and the number of sides is always, always the same.
This is because the courses
always start and end in
the middle of a side.

Keep your letters unique,

unless they REALLY are the same
You can’t use the same letter as a substitute twice, unless you’re
absolutely sure that the two changing factors (math geeks call them
variables) are always, always equal to each other and can only change
together.
Alex’s windsurfing courses are a special type of shape we call a polygon,
A bunch more on these in
which always have the same number of sides as they have corners. Six
Chapter 7 of Head First
sides means six corners. Five corners means five sides.
2D Geometry.

These two are equal and DO

Alex’s Course average always change together, so
advantage = ?
time BOTH can be substituted
with N.

leg Number Number 10.24

?
length x of? legs 180º - Course
? x ?
of turns
x seconds
angle
- +
4 meters
? per 180º
second

36   Bonus chapter

 algebra for geometry
P a n i c R e l a x
Put it all together to create Alex’s
winning formula
You’ve identified your purpose, your changing factors (variables),
their relationships, and you’ve picked a bunch of letters to stand
in for them. It’s time to build the equation that will hopefully
help Alex win his sponsorship…or there’s still time to turn back
and do a couple hundred calculations instead if you prefer?

Using the letters we’ve selected as substitutes, complete the

formula that Alex can use to pick races he’s likely to win.

Number
of turns

Alex’s Course average leg Number Course

advantage time length of legs angle

T C L N A

you are here 4   37

sharpen solution
P a n i c R e l a x

Using the letters we’ve selected as substitutes, complete the

formula that Alex can use to pick races he’s likely to win.

Number
of turns

Alex’s Course average leg Number Course

advantage time length of legs angle

T C L N A

T= C - ( L x N ) + ( 180 - A ) x N x 10.24 )
4 180
Don’t worry if your answer doesn’t look exactly the
same—there are a few different styles of writing
algebra, you might have written it more like this.
T = C - ( NL/4 + N(180-A) x 10.24/180)

Q: Do I have to tidy it all up like we do in algebra Q: What if I don’t know what letters I should pick?
class?

A: You’ll probably be marked more on your geometry

A: If it matters what letters you use then the question will
tell you to use them. Otherwise, just choose what makes
than your algebra, but it’s not a bad idea to do that tidying sense to you—it’s your brain doing the work!

Q:
up stuff—gathering like terms can make it easier to see
what your pattern means, and to use it. What if they started and ended at a corner—could

Q: Doesn’t the total turn always resolve to 360º?

I still use n for both legs and turns?

A: If you spotted that and used it, brilliant; if not, then

A: You could—but you’d have to put (n-1) instead of n for
the parts of the calculation where n represents number of
don’t worry—your pattern has it covered. turns.

38   Bonus chapter

 algebra for geometry

Alex wants to put your formula to the test

That’s amazing! So if I just plug

in the course statistics instead
of C, L, N, and A, then I’m looking
for the biggest T? Sounds like I
could probably manage it!

ALEX’S FORMULA, DO NOT LOSE!

T= C - ( ( L x N ) + ( 180 - A ) x N x 10.24 ) )
4 180

Show Alex how easy it is to use the formula you created for him to choose his best chance for
the next race. Which course should he race on?

Course statistics for race meet 2

Legs Leg length Corner angle Course average time
1 7 24m 128.5º 56 seconds

2 6 27m 120º 62.4 seconds

3 8 45m 135º 115.8 seconds

you are here 4   39

exercise solution

Show Alex how easy it is to use the formula you created for him to choose his best chance for
the next race. Which course should he race on?

Course statistics for race meet 2

Legs Leg length Corner angle Course average time
1 7 24m 128.5º 56 seconds

2 6 27m 120º 62.4 seconds

3 8 45m 135º 115.8 seconds

T= C - ( ( L x N ) + ( 180 - A ) x N x 10.24 ) )
4 180

1) T= 56 - ( ( 24 x 7 ) + ( 180 - 128.5 ) x 7 x 10.24 ) ) = -6.48

4 180

2) T= 62.4 - ( ( 27 x 6 ) + ( 180 - 120 ) x 6 x 10.24 ) ) = 1.42

4 180

3) T= 115.8 - ( ( 45 x 8 ) + ( 180 - 135 ) x 8 x 10.24 ) ) = 5.32

4 180

Alex should race on Course 3

40   Bonus chapter

 algebra for geometry

Your winning formula worked!

Instead of leaving Alex to guess
which race was best, or spending the
next 12 weekends doing math, you Thanks! I won my race, and even
whipped up the formula that could better, I showed that formula to
help Alex pick the right race time a big windsurfer company and they
after time. Nice work! were so impressed that they’ve
given me a sponsorship deal for
this season. All my travel and gear
is covered!

2 nd 1st 3rd

On top of that, Alex’s extra sponsorship money

means you get to tag along to some of the exotic
race locations as his manager. Don’t forget to pack a
swimsuit!

Work SMARTER,
not HARDER

you are here 4   41

 your geometry toolbox

Your Geometry Toolbox

BONUS ALGEBRA CHAPTER

You’ve got the bonus Algebra chapter

under your belt and now you’ve added
point and line notation, and general
algebra solutions to your toolbox. For a
complete list of tool tips in the book, head over
to www.headfirstlabs.com/geometry.

n To create genera
li n e s e g m ent betwee solutions, remembl
A
point B can PaniC then RelaXer to
point A and .
AB.
be written

An angle joining
the
ose any
lines segments A
B and You can choubstitute
BC can be writt letter to s ble, but they
en for a varia unique unless
ABC or CBA need to be are equal and
they really ge together.
always chan

42   Bonus chapter