Question

6 multiple choice 2 points a student is asked to construct the perpendicular bisector of segment ab. after placing the compass point on a, which of the following should the student do to begin the construction correctly? draw arcs only above the segment with any radius. draw an arc with a radius smaller than half of ab. draw a circle centered at a that passes through b. draw arcs above and below the segment with a radius greater than half of ab.

Explanation:

To construct the perpendicular bisector of a line - segment \(AB\), after placing the compass on point \(A\), we need to draw arcs above and below the segment with a radius greater than half of \(AB\). This is because when we repeat the process by placing the compass on point \(B\) with the same radius, the intersection - points of these arcs will help us draw the perpendicular bisector. Drawing arcs only above the segment won't work as we need points on both sides of the segment. A radius smaller than half of \(AB\) won't give us intersection points for the perpendicular bisector construction. Drawing a circle centered at \(A\) that passes through \(B\) is not the first step for constructing the perpendicular bisector.

Answer:

Draw arcs above and below the segment with a radius greater than half of \(AB\).