The three types of informal arguments used in this lesson to prove a geometric

formula are visual arguments, intuitive arguments, and algebraic arguments.

1. Visual arguments: These types of arguments use diagrams or images to show how a
formula works. An example of a visual argument can be seen in the proof of the
formula for the area of a circle. By drawing a circle and dividing it into small
pie-shaped segments, we can see that the area of the circle is equal to the sum of
the areas of all the segments. This can then be represented mathematically as A =
πr^2.

2. Intuitive arguments: These types of arguments use logical reasoning and common
sense to explain why a formula is true. An example of an intuitive argument can be
seen in the proof of the Pythagorean theorem. By drawing a right triangle and
rearranging its pieces, we can see that the sum of the squares of the two shorter
sides is equal to the square of the hypotenuse. This makes sense because the
hypotenuse represents the longest distance between two points, and so it must be
longer than either of the other two sides.

3. Algebraic arguments: These types of arguments use algebraic equations to prove a

formula. An example of an algebraic argument can be seen in the proof of the
formula for the volume of a rectangular prism. By using the formula V = lwh, we can
see that the volume is the product of the length, width, and height of the prism.
This makes sense because if we imagine filling the prism with small cubes, the
number of cubes needed to fill it would be equal to its volume.

Overall, each of these three types of informal arguments can be used to prove
geometric formulas in a clear and convincing way, and it is often helpful to use a
combination of these methods to gain a deeper understanding of a formula.