Q13 - Geometry

Question

Surveyors and photographers use a tripod for support.

Why does a three-legged support work better than one with four legs?

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

Three-legged support works better than one with four legs because in three-legged support, the base of the support is only one possible plane and that will be stable.

Step 1. Description of three legged support.

The three-legged support has three legs that touch the base plane at three points.

Step 2. Stability of three legged support.

The three-legged support is more stable than four-legged because the three-legged touches the base plane at three points which are non-collinear therefore a unique plane can pass through these three non-collinear points while in four-legged support, the four-legged support touches the base plane at four non-collinear planes therefore, more than one plane can pass through these four non-collinear planes.

Step 3. Reason why a three-legged support work better than one with four legs.

Three-legged support works better than one with four legs because in three-legged support, the base of the support is only one possible plane and that will be stable.