George has three iron rods. Rod A is 6 feet long, rod B is 12 feet long, and rod C is 5 feet long. If the full length of each rod is used, can the three iron rods be placed together to form a triangle?
In order for the three iron rods to form a triangle, the sum of the lengths of any two rods must be greater than the length of the third rod.
By applying this rule to rods A, B, and C:
- Rod A (6 feet) + Rod B (12 feet) = 18 feet, which is greater than Rod C (5 feet)
- Rod B (12 feet) + Rod C (5 feet) = 17 feet, which is less than Rod A (6 feet)
- Rod C (5 feet) + Rod A (6 feet) = 11 feet, which is less than Rod B (12 feet)
Therefore, the three iron rods A, B, and C cannot be placed together to form a triangle.