GEOMETRIC

CONSTRUCTION
ENGR MC. LORENZ CASTILLO
Dividing a line segment to
equal, smaller segments
 A. Bisecting a given line AB
1. Using point A as center and any radius R greater than 1/2 the
length of line AB, draw an arc extending to both sides of line
AB.

2. Using point B as center and with the same radius R, draw a

second arc intersecting the first arc at point C and at point D.

3. Draw a line connecting points C and D intersecting line AB at

point E.

4. Line CD formed must be perpendicular to line AB.

 b. Dividing a given line EF into 3
equal segments
1. Using point E as origin, draw another line EG making an angle
between 30° and 45° with line EF.

2. Starting from point E and using any convenient length, lay out
points 1, 2, and 3 on line EG at equal distances.

3. Draw a line connecting points F and 3.

4. Draw a fourth line parallel to line 3F, passing through point 2, and
intersecting line EF at point H.

5. Draw a fifth line also parallel to line 3F, passing through point 1,
and intersecting line EF at point K.
Dividing an angle into
equal parts
Bisecting a given line BAC

1. Using point A as center and any radius R, draw an arc cutting

side AB and side AC at point F.

2. Using point D as center and another radius R1, draw a second

arc away from point A, and between sides AB and AC.

3. Using the same radius R1 and point F as center, draw a third

arc that intersects the second arc at point G.

4. Line AG formed bisects angle BAC and arc DF.

Dividing a given angle MOP into
three equal parts (MOP < 45°)
1. Using point O as center and any radius R, draw an arc cutting
side OM at point N and side OP at point L.

2. Connecting points N to L, divide the resulting chord LN into

three equal segments.

3. Designate the two new points established on chord LN as

points S and T. Connect points S and T with point O.

4. Lines OS and OT divide angle MOP, chord LN, and arc LN into
three approximately equal parts.
Defining a circle or an
arc
Determining the center of an arc

1. Establish three or four points (points A, B, and C) in the arc as

far away from each other as possible. Draw two chord lines
connecting points A to B, and points C to B.

2. Draw perpendicular bisectors, EF, and GH, to the chord lines.

3. The intersection of the two perpendicular bisectors, point D, is

the center of the arc.
 Drawing a circle through three
points

1. Connect points A to B, and B to C. Draw perpendicular

bisectors DF and GH to lines AB and BC.

2. The intersection of DF and GH at point O is the center of the

circle and the distance OA is the radius.
Drawing parallel lines
Line passing through point P and
parallel to line AB
1. Using point P as center and any radius R greater than the distance
from point P to line AB, draw an arc cutting line AB at point C.

2. Using point C as center and the same radius R, draw another arc
passing through point P and cutting line AB at point D.

3. Using point C again as center and the distance between points P

and D as radius R1, draw a third arc cutting the first arc at point F.

4. The line connecting point P to point F is parallel to line AB.

Line parallel to, and at, a given
distance from, line AB
1. Using point A (of line AB) as center at the given distance S as
radius, draw an arc on one side of line AB.

2. Using point B (of line AB) as center and the same distance S
as radius, draw a second arc on the same side of line AB.

3. Draw a line tangent to both the first and the second arcs.

4. The new line is parallel to line AB.

Drawing perpendicular
lines
Line perpendicular to line AB and
passing through endpoint B
1. Extend line AB beyond point B. Using point B as center and
any radius R, draw an arc cutting line AB at point C and the
extension line at point D.

2. Using point C (first) and point D (second) as centers and any

radius R1 in both operations, draw two arcs on the same side
of line AB (either side); then the two arcs should be
intersecting at point F.

3. The line connecting point B to point F is perpendicular to line

AB.
Construction of a
given angle
Transferring a given angle BAC to
another position or location
1. Layout line A’B’ in the desired new location. Using any radius
R, and point A (first) then point A’ next, as centers, draw two
arcs; the first arc cutting line AC at point P and line AB at point
D; the second arc cutting line A’B’ at point D’.

2. Using point D’ as center and the distance from point P to D as

radius, draw a third arc intersecting the second arc at point C’.

3. The line connecting point A’ to point C’ forms the given angle

BAC in the new position as angle B’A’C’.
Construction of
triangles
Drawing a triangle with sides A, B,
and C given
1. Layout side A in the desired position.

2. Using one endpoint (point 1) of side A as center and the length

of side B as radius, draw an arc on either side of side A.

3. Using endpoint 2 of side A and the length of side C as radius,

draw a second arc intersecting the first arc at point 3.

4. Connecting point 3 with points 1 and 2 establishes triangle

ABC.
Drawing a right triangle with
hypotenuse (side F) and side G
given
1. Using the length of the given hypotenuse (side AB) as
diameter, draw a semicircle.

2. Using one endpoint (endpoint A) of the hypotenuse (side AB)

as center and the length of side AC as radius, draw an arc
intersecting the semicircle at point C.

3. Connecting point C with endpoints A and B establishes the

desired right triangle ABC.
Drawing an equiangular triangle
with one side on given line AB
1. Draw a straight line AB and designate a point O near one end.
Using point O as center, and any convenient radius R, draw an
arc cutting line AB at point C, and extend the arc up to 90°
(from point O) in the desired side of line AB.

2. Using point C as center, and the same radius R, draw a

second arc intersecting the first arc at point D.

3. Connect point O to point D and point C to point D to complete

the equiangular triangle.
Inscribing an equilateral triangle in
a circle of radius R
1. Designate any point A in the circumference of the circle, point
D is located at the opposite end of the diameter line.

2. Using point A as center, and radius R equal to the radius of the

circle, draw an arc cutting the circumference of the circle at
point B and at point C.

3. Connect point D to point B, point B to point C, and point C to

complete the triangle.
Construction of
parallelograms
Drawing a square with side AB
given
1. Draw side AB in the desire position. Construct line BE
perpendicular to side AB and originating from point B.

2. Using point B as center and AB as radius R, draw an arc cutting

line BE at point C.

3. Using points A and C as centers, and the same radius R in both

operations, draw two arcs intersecting each other at point D.

4. Connect point C to point D and point A to point D.

Inscribing a square in a circle with
radius R
1. Draw the circle with point E as center. Draw line AB through
point E cutting the circle at points G and H.

2. Draw line CD perpendicular to line AB, and passing through

point E, cutting the circle at points M and N.

3. Connect points G to M, M to H, H to N, and N to G.

Drawing a rectangle with diagonal
BD and one side BC given
1. Draw the diagonal BD and bisect it at point O. Using point O
as center, draw a circle passing through point B and point D.
Line BD is a diameter.

2. Using points B and D as centers, and length of side BC as

radius, draw two arcs cutting the circle at point C and point A.

3. Connect point B to point C, C to D, D to A, and A to B, to

complete the rectangle.
Drawing lines tangent
to circles
Line CD tangent to circle O at point
A in the circle
1. Draw the diagonal BD and bisect it at point O. Using point O
as center, draw a circle passing through point B and point D.
Line BD is a diameter.

2. Using points B and D as centers, and length of side BC as

radius, draw two arcs cutting the circle at point C and point A.

3. Connect point B to point C, C to D, D to A, and A to B, to

complete the rectangle.
Line PT tangent to circle O, passing
through point P (outside the circle)
1. From the center of the circle (point O), draw a line to point P.
Bisect line OP and designate the midpoint as point M.

2. Using point M as center and the length of OM as radius, draw

an arc cutting the circle at point T1 and T2.

3. Lines PT1 and PT2 are tangent to the circle.

Line tangent to two different circles on
the inside (cross-belt), or internally
tangent
1. Draw line O1-O2 connecting the center of the first circle (Circle 1) to the center
of the second circle (Circle 2). From the centers of both circles, draw
perpendicular lines to line O1O2, intersecting the circumference of Circle 1 at
point A, and the circumference of the other circle (Circle 2) at point B.

2. Connect point A with point B by a broken line intersecting line O1O2 at point P.

3. Using point P as a common point outside of both circles, and the procedure for
determining point of tangency of a line to a circle, locate point T1 on Circle 1
and point T2 on Circle 2.

4. The line connecting point T1 to point T2 is tangent to both Circle 1 and Circle 2.
Drawing arcs or circles
tangent to lines or
other arcs
Circle of radius R tangent to line ABC
at point B
1. Draw line BD perpendicular to line ABC at point B.

2. Frompoint B and using the given radius R, draw a

short arc intersecting line BD at point O.

3. Usingpoint O as center and radius R, draw the desired

circle passing through point B.
Circle tangent to line ABC at point B
and passing through point P
1. Draw line BD perpendicular to line ABC at point B.

2. Connectpoint B to point P, construct a perpendicular

bisector GH of line BP, designate the intersection of
line BD and line GH as point O.

3. Using
point O as center and a radius equal to OB,
draw the desired circle or arc.
Circles inside and
outside triangles
Inscribing a circle inside triangle ABC
1. Draw line BD perpendicular to line ABC at point B.

2. Connectpoint B to point P, construct a perpendicular

bisector GH of line BP, designate the intersection of
line BD and line GH as point O.

3. Using
point O as center and a radius equal to OB,
draw the desired circle or arc.
Circumscribing a circle around
triangle ABC
1. Draw a perpendicular bisector (line DE) to side AB.

2. Drawa perpendicular bisector (line FH) to side BC

intersecting line DE (first bisector) at point O.

3. Using
point O as center and OA (or OB) as radius,
draw the desired circumscribed circle.
Circles inside and
outside rectangles
Inscribing a rectangle with one side
given inside a circle
1. Draw the given side AB such that point A and point B
both lies on the circumference of the circle.

2. Fromboth point A and point B, draw one line each

perpendicular to side AB and intersecting the circle at
point D and point C.

3. Connectpoint A to point D, point D to point C, and

point C to point B to complete the rectangle.
Circle inside a square, or circle around
a square
1. Draw the given square designating each corner as points
A, B, C, and D, respectively, draw a diagonal from point A
to C.
2. Draw a perpendicular bisector (line FG) to side AB
intersecting the diagonal line AC at point O, and cutting
side AB at point G.
3. Using point O as center and OG as radius, draw the
inscribed circle. Using point O as center and OA as radius,
draw the desired circumscribing circle.
Polygons inside circles
Inscribing a pentagon inside a circle
1. Draw two diameters of the circle which are perpendicular to each
other, cutting the circumference of the circle at point A, point L,
point M, and point N.

2. Bisect radius OL at point P, from point P, and using the distance

between point P and point A as radius, draw an arc cutting radius
ON at point X.

3. From point A and using the distance between point A and point X
as radius, draw a second arc cutting the circle at point B. Draw
line AB, and use its length to determine points C, D, and E
around the circumference of the circle.
Inscribing a regular polygon
(pentagon) inside a given circle
1. Draw the diameter line AK, divide this diameter into n = 5 (for
pentagon) equal segments, marking the internal points as points
1, 2, 3, and 4.

2. Using point A then point K as centers and the circle diameter as

radius, draw two arcs intersecting each other at point O. Draw a
line connecting point O to point 2 (in the diameter of the circle)
and extend this line to intersect the circle at point B.

3. Draw line AB to establish the first side of the desired regular

pentagon. Using the length of line AB, draw the other four sides.
a.Regular polygon around a circle
(hexagon, n = 6)
1. Draw diameter line AD across the given circle. Using radius R as length
and starting from point A, mark off points B, C, E, and F, at equal
distances around the circumference of the circle (6 points in total).

2. From the center of the circle (point O), draw radiating lines (line OA,
OB… OF), each line extending beyond the circumference of the circle.

3. Draw one perpendicular line to each radiating line, making these

perpendiculars tangent to the circle at points A, B, C, D, E, and F.

4. The intersections of these perpendiculars are the corners of the

circumscribed hexagon.