Question 185839: My daughter and her 3 friends are all in the 11th grade Geometry class, and were doing ok until it came to proofs. They do not understand how to do them at all, and their teacher is pregnant and not happy, she wants to keep on moving along, while they are stuck. Now they have to be able to do these to move on, and the class is moving on after Friday. These 3 are A/B students generally, but all have C's or worse. Can someone explain to them, in simple terms, how to do proofs? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Answer by solver91311(24713)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The only thing that I can tell you is that a geometry proof starts with what you know to be true, and then through a series of steps, each of which must be supported by one of the five axioms or by a previously proven theorem, you arrive at the desired conclusion. The set of steps that you need to use for any given proof is unique to that proof, so in that sense there is no magic formula for "How To Do Proofs." Just look at the examples in your book, and remember that anything you are asked to prove at any point in the course can be proven using the axioms and anything previously proven -- that is to say, if you are asked to prove something in a chapter 5 exercise, then it will not depend on something that is proven in chapter 6.
As to your teacher's attitude, you might want to remind her that she is receiving a paycheck in consideration of the services she provides teaching you -- not in consideration of how well she 'keeps on moving'. She has a fiduciary responsibility to teach you, and as long as you have been doing your part by regularly doing your homework and regularly attending class, if you aren't getting it, she isn't doing the job that she is being paid to do. Furthermore, her physical condition doesn't enter into the equation at all. On the other hand, if you haven't been keeping up with your homework and classwork and expect to learn this by some tutor waving some sort of magic wand over you, then you have another think coming. My advice, in that case, would be to retake the course.
John
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