Identify the diagram that shows the first step in the construction of a perpendicular bisector.(1 point)

Responses a b c or d which one is it and be honest

A line segment has 2 end points. The left end point is A, and the right is B. A geometric compass is shown with the compass needle on point A and the pencil of the compass placed about two thirds of the way along line segment A B.
Image with alt text: A line segment has 2 end points. The left end point is A, and the right is B. A geometric compass is shown with the compass needle on point A and the pencil of the compass placed about two thirds of the way along line segment A B.

A straight line segment with end points A and B is shown. The left end point is A, and the right end point is B.
Image with alt text: A straight line segment with end points A and B is shown. The left end point is A, and the right end point is B.

Two arcs are bisected by line segment A B. The arcs intersect at points C above the midpoint of A B and D below the midpoint of A B. A line is drawn from point C to D through the midpoint, M, of A B forming a right angle.
Image with alt text: Two arcs are bisected by line segment A B. The arcs intersect at points C above the midpoint of A B and D below the midpoint of A B. A line is drawn from point C to D through the midpoint, M, of A B forming a right angle.

A line segment has 2 end points, A and B. Two arcs, one open to the left and one to the right, are bisected by the line segment A B to the right of its center and left of its center, respectively.
Image with alt text: A line segment has 2 end points, A and B. Two arcs, one open to the left and one to the right, are bisected by the line segment A B to the right of its center and left of its center, respectively.
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1 answer

The first step in constructing a perpendicular bisector typically involves placing the compass point on one endpoint of the line segment and drawing an arc that crosses the line segment at two points. Given the descriptions you've shared, the option that describes a compass needle on point A and the compass pencil placed about two thirds of the way along line segment AB sounds like it is indicating the initial setup, but it doesn't seem to align with standard terminology for this construction step.

However, based on typical construction steps, the correct response showing the first step would likely be the one that directly involves using a compass to create arcs. Therefore, the correct answer would be the diagram that describes two arcs being created (the last one you provided) since that indicates the beginning of the process to create a perpendicular bisector, even though it mentions it being bisected.

If you need to select just based on the provided descriptions without the visual cues, the key is to look for the construction involving placing the compass and drawing arcs. So based on this reasoning, I would suggest option D as it indicates the compass's involvement in constructing the bisector.