Joaquin is constructing the perpendicular bisector of . What should be his first step?A.Open his compass so that the distance from the two points of the compass is half the length of .B.Open his compass so that the distance from the two points of the compass is one quarter the length of .C.Open his compass so that the distance from the two points of the compass is less than half the length of .D.Open his compass so that the distance from the two points of the compass is wider than half the length of .SUBMITarrow_backPREVIOUS

Joaquin's first step in constructing the perpendicular bisector of a line segment should be to open his compass so that the distance between the two points of the compass is wider than half the length of the line segment. So, the correct answer is D.

Here's why:

1. Place the point of the compass at one end of the line segment.
2. Without changing the compass width, draw an arc that is above and below the line.
3. Without changing the compass width, move the compass point to the other end of the line segment and draw another arc that intersects with the first arc.
4. Draw a line through the two points where the arcs intersect. This line is the perpendicular bisector of the original line segment.

If the compass is not opened wider than half the length of the line segment, the arcs will not intersect and a perpendicular bisector cannot be drawn.