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Any point on a perpendicular bisector is equidistant from the endpoints of the line segment.
This can be proven using congruent triangles.
Suppose CM is the perpendicular bisector of AB, and that M is the midpoint of AB.
Two triangles can be created by connecting points A and C, and B and C.
These triangles both have a right angle and one of the legs measures half of AB. They also share one leg, CM.
According to the SAS Congruence Theorem, the triangles are congruent. Thus, their hypotenuses are also congruent.
Therefore, any point on a perpendicular bisector is equidistant from the endpoints of the segment. This can be summarized in a two-column proof.
Statement | Reason |
AM≅MBAB⊥CM
|
Given |
△AMC≅△BMC | SAS congruence theorem |
AC≅BC | △AMC≅△BMC |
AC=BC | Definition of congruent segments |
Note that AMC and MBC are not triangles if C is the point of intersection, M. However, since M is the midpoint of AB it is, by definition, equidistant from A and B.