SOLUTION: Can the three sides of a triangle be 8 inches, 11 inches and 20 inches long? Why, or why not? Use complete sentences to explain.

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Question 1141610: Can the three sides of a triangle be 8 inches, 11 inches and 20 inches long? Why, or why not? Use complete sentences to explain.
Answer by ikleyn(52803) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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According to triangle inequalities, for any two sides of a triangle, their sum 
(the sum of their lengths) must be greater than the third side length.


But for these two segments, 8 inches and 11 inches, the sum of their lengths, 8 + 11, 
is 19 inches, which is less than the length of the third segment, 20 inches.


Therefore, the given three segments can not form a triangle.