This exercise is about calculating sin(60°), without knowing it before.
Draw a large coordinate system. (1 unit of length=^8 squares). Construct the unit circle with the compass and apply a 60° angle to the x-axis with the set square. Construct the length sin(60°) and measure it with the ruler.
Calculate sin(60°) exactly. First find the value for cos(60°). Construct an equilateral triangle for it.
In a right triangle with a 60° angle, the third interior angle has 30°. In the unit circle the hypotenuse has length 1.
Extend the triangle to an equilateral triangle by mirroring the given triangle at the edge with sin(60°). The triangle must be equilateral because it has three 60° angles.
In an equilateral triangle all sides have the same length, i.e. length 1.
cos(60°) is exactly half the side length of the triangle, i.e. 21.
Now use the Pythagorean theorem in the right triangle to calculate sin(60°).
Plug in the value for the cosine. (cos(60°))2+(sin(60°))2=12
(21)2+(sin(60°))2=1
41+(sin(60°))2=1∣−41
(sin(60°))2=43∣
sin(60°)=±43 since sin(60°) was applied above the x-axis, only the positive result comes into question.