WOLFRAM|DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECT

Two Conditions for a Tetrahedron to Be Orthocentric

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a
1.2
b
1
c
1
d
1.2
2D/3D
net
polyhedron
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show bimedians
An altitude of a tetrahedron is a line from a vertex perpendicular to the face opposite that vertex. A tetrahedron is orthocentric if the four altitudes meet at the same point, which is called the orthocenter or the Monge point.
Let the opposite side lengths of a tetrahedron
T
be
a
and
e
,
b
and
f
and
c
and
d
. Then
T
is orthocentric if and only if
2
a
+
2
e
=
2
b
+
2
f
=
2
c
+
2
d
.
A bimedian of a tetrahedron is a line segment that joins the midpoints of a pair of opposite edges. A tetrahedron is orthocentric if and only if the three bimedians have equal length.