Don’t you think geometrical shapes are fascinating? We are surrounded by geometrical shapes in everyday life, including beds, glasses, ovens, books, and bottles, among many others.
Numerous foods and other items in the shape of triangles are probably familiar to you. Most things we encounter are triangular, including the sandwiches you eat for lunch, complex geometrical calculations you perform in school, and the perilous Bermuda Triangle. Here’s a closer look at this geometric form that’s found nearly everywhere.
The most significant shape in math is the triangle.1 Triangles are plane figures made up of three sides and three angles. There are different kinds of triangles depending on the sides and angles. Some basic triangle types include Scalene triangles, isosceles triangles, right-angled triangles, etc.1 It is essential to use real-life examples to teach your children because analogies from their everyday lives can help them learn concepts more efficiently.
It is a well-known fact that triangles are quite common, structurally strong, and very easy to apply and use in everyday life, making them perfect for architects and students to study. The triangular shape of a triangle, which evenly distributes pressure across its three sides, is what gives it its strength. However, angles also play an important role inside the triangle. There is always a 180-degree overall angle. Out of all the two-dimensional constructions we can build with straight metal struts, only a triangle is rigid.2
Let’s examine some actual instances of the triangle.1,3
Roofs
Not all of the roofs on the homes are triangular in design. Nevertheless, if you reside in a region where it snows, you will notice that most of the roofs on the houses have a triangular design. These roofs best illustrate the obtuse triangle.The major purpose of developing these sorts of roofing is to prevent snow and rain from remaining on the roofs for an extended period of time.
Traffic Signs
In our everyday lives, traffic signs are where we most frequently see triangles. The signs have the shape of an equilateral triangle, which implies that their three sides are of the same length and have the same angles.
Pyramids
The pyramids are Egypt’s most notable historical structures. They have four sides and are tetrahedral in shape. The apex of this design has a single point where these four pyramidal sides intersect. Humans view these shapes as mysteries. In any case, the four sides of the pyramids form four equilateral triangles. So, you can use this specific example of the triangles to illustrate the concept of an equilateral triangle to children.
Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda triangle serves as the best illustration of a triangle. The Bermuda triangle continues to elude researchers worldwide. The reason for this is that whenever ships and aircraft reach this location, they mysteriously vanish. You can also explain the idea of a triangle by using the Bermuda triangle as an example. This story about the Bermuda Triangle will also capture the children’s attention, which will enhance their understanding.
Truss Bridges
Supporting structures for truss bridges are triangular in design. Triangles are employed to support the bridge’s framework because they distribute weight uniformly while maintaining proportions. When you apply pressure to a rectangle, it flattens out. Before triangle shapes were added into their structure, the bridges were extremely frail and could not support much weight.
Sandwiches and Pizzas
The majority of people begin their days with triangular-shaped sandwiches. Sandwiches are frequently shaped into triangles to make them more esthetically pleasing and look more appetizing because their triangular shapes are convenient and handy. A study suggests that children favor triangular-shaped sandwiches over those that aren’t. Since most children love pizza, this real-world triangle form illustration is likely to stick with them for a long time.
If you found this article on triangles fascinating, you can further explore the real-life applications of congruent triangles here. Check out BYJU’s FutureSchool Blog for more interesting articles on math and its intriguing applications.
References:
- 10 Real Life Examples of Triangles – Daayri. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://daayri.com/business/education/10-real-life-examples-of-triangles/
- How Triangles are Used in Real Life Situations. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://unacademy.com/content/ssc/study-material/mathematics/how-triangles-are-used-in-real-life-situations/
- 10 Real Life Examples Of Triangle – StudiousGuy. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://studiousguy.com/10-real-life-examples-of-triangle/
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