MATH 620 Mathematical Modeling for Teachers Dissecting Shapes Problem

1. Find a way to cut this parallelogram into pieces you can rearrange to form a rectangle. (The
Shape Templates handout includes a copy for you to cut.) Be sure to use all of the pieces when
creating the rectangle.

a. Use pictures and words to describe where you decided to cut (a cut can be represented
by a dotted line) and how you rearranged the pieces.

Make the cuts shown below by the red lines and move the green shaded piece to the
location shown in the second part of the image. This will make a rectangle.

b. List the properties of the parallelogram that changed and properties that stayed the
same when you transformed it into a rectangle.
The area will remain the same. This can easily be seen by the fact that the white, blue, and green
shaded pieces are the same before and after the change, just in a different location.
The perimeter will change some. In the parallelogram, the perimeter is twice the bottom (or top) plus
twice one of the left or right sides. When it is changed to a rectangle the perimeter becomes twice the
red cut line plus twice the bottom (or top). Since the left side has the same end point but different
beginning point as the red cut line, it is impossible for them to be the same length. Therefore twice the
red cut line plus twice the bottom must be different from twice the bottom plus twice the left side
(same if using top and right sides)
c. How can you be sure your final shape has the properties of a rectangle? Write a
convincing mathematical explanation.
According to the properties of a parallelogram, the top and bottom parallel sides are the same length.
d. Will your method work for a parallelogram that looks like this? If not, what changes do
you need to make in the description of your method? (The Shape Templates handout
includes a parallelogram for you to cut.)

In this shape, make the cuts at these red lines instead and rearrange them as shown:

e. Will your method allow you to transform any parallelogram into a rectangle? Explain.
Yes it will. By using the endpoints of the top/bottom parallel sides to create the sets of right
triangles that are made will create situations where two halves of squares will be able to be
made, leaving a small rectangle to fill in any blank space.
2. Find a way to cut the rectangle below into pieces you can rearrange to form a right triangle.
(The Shape Templates handout includes a copy for you to cut.) Be sure to use all of the pieces
when creating the right triangle.

a. Use pictures and words to describe where you decided to cut and how you rearranged
the pieces.
Make a cut along the following red line, which is drawn from the bottom left corner to the top edge in
such a way that it cuts the top edge in half: (Purple marks indicate same length)

Then rotate and move the shaded green triangle above the figure and place the purple marked sides
together so that point A is now on point B, like so:

b. List the properties of the rectangle that changed and properties that stayed the same
when you transformed it into a triangle.
The area has stayed the same because all we have done is relocate part of the area to a new location.
We have not added or deleted any area.
The perimeter of the figure will change. Lets call the original side lengths AB and BC. The original
perimeter is 2(AB)+2(BC). The perimeter is now (AB)+2(BC)+sqrt((AB)^2+(2(BC))^2). These quantities
are always different as long as both AB and BC are not zero. So the perimeter will be different.
c. How can you be sure your final shape has the properties of a right triangle? Write a
convincing mathematical explanation.
Since we started with a rectangle, all of the corners were 90 degree angles. So after we make the
transformation, the bottom right corner will remain a 90 degree angle, so that property of a right
triangle is satisfied.
The area of the rectangle was (BC)*(DC). From the first to the second picture, it is clear to see that GB
and BC are the same length since they originally were opposite sides of the rectangle. So if we take the
formula for the area of the triangle (BH/2) and use this information, we get [2(BC)*(DC)]/2 = (BC)*(DC)
which is the area we are supposed to have since the areas are the same for the triangle and the
rectangle. So the area of the triangle property holds.
(Not sure what other properties to include at the moment)
d. Will your method allow you to transform any rectangle into a right triangle? Explain.
Yes, this will work for any rectangle. The fact that we are cutting the top edge in half means that by
rotating the shape that is cut off will always make it match up to the piece we are gluing it to and
the cut is the same cut line so the slope will always match to form the triangle. The fact that the corner
is always a 90 degree angle will preserve it once the transformation is done.
3. Could you dissect a parallelogram and rearrange its pieces to form a right triangle? Either
explain why some parallelograms cannot be dissected and rearranged for form a right triangle,
or use pictures and words to describe where to cut and how to rearrange the pieces.
Yes, any parallelogram can be transformed into a rectangle and then into a right triangle. Using the
demonstrations above, weve shown how to take parallelograms and cut/transform them into
rectangles. We then have shown how to cut and transform any rectangle into a right triangle.
Combining the processes shown in the above questions, all youd have to do is first construct a
rectangle from the parallelogram and then use the cut the top edge in half method to change the
newly created rectangle into a right triangle.

4. Which geometric habits of mind are promoted in this problem? In which parts of the problem
is each habit promoted? How do the parts of the problem address each habit of mind?
Reasoning with Relationships: This problem has shown and demonstrated the relationships between
parallelograms and rectangles as well as rectangles and right triangles and has shown how they relate,
how they are alike, and how they differ.
Generalizing Geometric Ideas: This problem first shows the relationships that example shapes have
with one another but then generalizes and eventually demonstrates that ALL shapes of certain forms
can be related to certain others i.e. all parallelograms can be related to rectangles and all rectangles
can be related to right triangles.
Investigating invariants: This problem clearly demonstrates that even if we start with a parallelogram
and cut/transform it into a rectangle or even if then we cut and transform that into a right triangle, the
area will always remain constant and never changes.
Shape Templates

Problem 1




Problem 2