SOLUTION: The midpoints of each side of an equilateral triangle are joined forming a smaller triangle. The midpoints of this smaller triangle are then joined, forming a third triangle and so

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Question 802064: The midpoints of each side of an equilateral triangle are joined forming a smaller triangle. The midpoints of this smaller triangle are then joined, forming a third triangle and so on. If the length of each side of the original triangle is one, what is the total perimeter of all the triangles that can be formed this way?
Answer by KMST(5328) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The sides of each triangle will be 1%2F2 as long as the sides of the prior triangle, so the first perimeter is 3, the second is 3%2F2, the next 3%2F4, and so on.
The perimeters form a geometric sequence.
The sum converges to highlight%286%29.
That is easy to see because as you add each perimeter you are reducing the difference between your sum and 6 by a factor of 2.

If you need to show your work, you could dust all those formulas about geometric sequences, and use the version taught in your class.

Maybe you would use the fact that the sum of the first n terms of a geometric sequence is
S%5Bn%5D=a%5B1%5D%281-r%5En%29%2F%281-r%29
where a%5B1%5D is the first term and r is the common ratio.
In this case a%5B1%5D=3 and r=1%2F2, so

As n increases without bounds, %281%2F2%29%5En approaches zero, and s%5Bn%5D approaches highlight%286%29.

Maybe you were taught that if r%3C1 an infinite geometric series converges to a%5B1%5D%2F%281-r%29
In that case, plugging a%5B1%5D=3 and r=1%2F2 into that formula you get that the sum of the infinite series is 3%2F%28%281%2F2%29%29=3%2A2=highlight%286%29