What is a median of a triangle?

A median of a triangle is a line segment that joins a vertex of the triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side.

Every triangle has three medians, one from each vertex. The medians intersect at a single point called the centroid, which divides each median in the ratio 2:1.

Properties of a Median

• Each triangle has three medians.
• The medians intersect at the centroid.
• The centroid divides the median in a 2:1 ratio (vertex to midpoint).
• Medians help find the center of mass of a uniform triangular shape.

Example

In a triangle ABC, if D is the midpoint of side BC, then the line joining A and D (AD) is the median from vertex A.