Gerry wants to construct a triangle with segments that are 4, 6, and 11 inches long. Is his triangle possible? Explain how you know.

Answer:

No, the triangle is not possible. According to the triangle inequality rule, the sum of any two sides must be greater than the third side. Here, the sum of the two shorter sides is 4 + 6 = 10, which is less than the third side of 11. Since 10 < 11, the segments cannot form a triangle.