semicircle chord cut v1 (applet)
Use the interactive Geogebra applet lower on this page to solve the following problem:
The graph of a semicircle with a radius of 2 units is shown in the diagram. A chord parallel to the x-axis divides the semicircle into two regions. The upper shaded region is a segment of the semicircle. The distance that the chord is from the x-axis is h. Find the distance h such that the area of the segment is one-half the area of the semicircle. Give the answer accurate to 3 significant figures.
In the Geogebra applet below, you can change the distance h by using the slider or dragging the upper endpoint of the length marked h. To make very small changes (increments of 0.001), select the slider for h and then use right/left arrows on keyboard. Using the slider for r, you can also change the radius of the semicircle to integer values of 1, 2 (initial value), 3, 4 or 5.