How to Draw Parallel Lines in Geometry
Remember playing with blocks, throwing a ball, and lining up with your kindergarten class to walk down the hall? It was all about shapes and lines. This was your introduction to geometry. Learning to place that knowledge on paper is what helps students excel in the classroom. One of the first things you'll have to do in geometry class is draw parallel lines. As long as you have a ruler, you can easily learn this basic rule. You'll also learn how to write the equation for parallel lines.
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Instructions
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How to Draw Parallel Lines in Geometry
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Be able to explain the definition of parallel lines. Parallel lines are two straight lines on the same plane that never intersect, no matter how far they extend. Think of cars on a long, straight highway. The cars traveling north are beside the cars traveling south, but they do not cross into the other lane. They are parallel.
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Take a ruler and draw a straight line. On a regular sized sheet of paper, just draw the line about five inches wide.
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Place two dots on the line. One dot will be about an inch from the right side of the line, and the other dot will be about an inch from the left side of the line.
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Measure an inch below those lines and place another dot.
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Use your ruler to connect the dots. Draw the line another five inches. It will look just like your first line, but it will be an inch lower. You've just drew parallel lines.
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Draw arrows on the ends of your lines. This is to show that the lines, no matter how long they are, will never intersect.
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Label the dots. On one line, label the dots L and M. On the other line, label the dots N and O.
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Write your equation. To do this, write LM. Over the top, draw a line with two arrows on the end. Leave a space and then draw two, small parallel lines going up and down, like this ||. Then, write NO, again with a line over the top. This means LM is parallel to NO.
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Tips & Warnings
Another way to explain parallel lines in geometry, is to mention both lines will have the same perpendiculars.
In geometry, parallel lines may be assigned different letters.
Resources
- Photo Credit Lindsey Mastis
