George has three pieces of wood. Board A is 6 inches long, board B is 12 inches long, and board C is 4 inches long. If the full length of each board is used, can the three pieces of wood be placed together to form a triangle?
In order for the three pieces of wood to form a triangle, the sum of the lengths of any two sides must be greater than the length of the third side.
Let's check if these conditions are met with the given lengths:
- Board A and Board B: 6 + 12 = 18, which is greater than Board C (4). So, Boards A and B can form a triangle with Board C.
- Board A and Board C: 6 + 4 = 10, which is less than Board B (12). So, Boards A and C cannot form a triangle with Board B.
- Board B and Board C: 12 + 4 = 16, which is greater than Board A (6). So, Boards B and C can form a triangle with Board A.
Therefore, the three pieces of wood can be placed together to form a triangle using Board A (6 inches), Board B (12 inches), and Board C (4 inches).