How to...Construct a perpendicular line segment with a point off of the line segment

Constructing a perpendicular line segment with a point off of a line segment is a little bit more complicated than all of the other constructions you have done. It involves most of the constructions that you have already learned, though.

Step 1
First, measure from the point off of the line segment to a little bit more than that distance, and create an arc. Make a points where this arc intersects the line segment. Label these points.

Step 2
Next, measure from one of the points that you just created a little bit more than half way and make an arc. Now, using this same measurement, go to the other point that you just created and make another arc. make and label a point where these two arcs intersect.