Geometry in Baseball

By Zach Hand

Collinear points

• Collinear points are points that are on the same line. First base and home plate are on the same foul line

Plane

• A plane is an area that can contain lines, points, or segments. A bullpen looks like a plane and the players and home plates look like points on the plane.

Intersecting Planes

• Intersecting Planes are planes that intersect each other. These two bullpens are connected at a wall and intersect.

Coplanar Points

• Coplanar points are points that are on the same plane. The players on the field look like coplanar points

Parallel Planes

• Parallel Planes are planes that do not intersect each other. The infield grass and the outfield grass look parallel planes separated by the dirt.

Skew Lines

• Skew Lines are lines that don’t lie in the same plane, don’t intersect, and aren’t parallel. This line coming from the pitchers mound to home plate and the foul line look like skew lines.

Equilateral Triangle

• An equilateral triangle is a triangle whose sides are all congruent. The field beyond the foul lines form an equilateral triangle in fair territory.

Acute Angle

• An acute angle has a measure that is between zero degrees and 90 degrees. This part of Fenway Park in center field looks like an acute angle.

Parallel Lines

• Parallel Lines are coplanar lines that never intersect and they look alike. These two foul poles look like parallel lines.

Right Angle

• A right angle is an angle whose measure is 90 degrees. The foul pole coming off of this wall and the wall itself make a right angle.

Congruent Segments

• Congruent segments are segments that have the same measure. These baseball bats look like congruent segments.

Congruent Angles

• Congruent angles are angles that have the same measure. These lines look like congruent angles.

Obtuse Angle

• An obtuse angle is an angle with a measure between 90 degrees and 180 degrees. The infield dirt lines form an obtuse angle in the infield.

Intersecting Lines that are not Perpendicular

• Intersecting Lines that are perpendicular form a right angle. Intersecting lines that are not perpendicular don’t form a right angle. These lines in the Metrodome intersect, but do not form a right angle.

The End