Creating a Pythagorean Tree Fractal

Burnett, L.
Noel B2
May 15, 2012
Creating a Pythagorean Tree Fractal
1. In a sketch in Geometer’s Sketchpad, construct a horizontal segment AB.
2. Double click point A and highlight point B and the segment. Under the transform menu,
rotate it 90 degrees. Do this until you have a square.
3. Find the midpoint by highlighting A and B, then pulling up the ‘Construct’ menu and
selecting midpoint.
4. Once you have the midpoint, make a circle by selecting the circle tool and clicking the
midpoint, then dragging the circle out.
5. Select the circle and click ‘construct,’ then ‘arc through circle.’
6. Next, make two points on the circle over the square. Then, create two points to the
circle and connect them with segments. Build two squares using the segments you
drew. Hide the circle/midpoint/arc and color the squares if you’d like.
7. Select point A and B. Then, from the ‘Transform’ menu, select iterate. A box like this will
appear:
Burnett, L.
Noel B2
May 15, 2012
8. Click (in order) point C and F, and D and A. Then under the ‘struct…’ menu, make a new
map. On this map, click point C and B, and D and F.
9. Press iterate and you should see: