Triangle

Congruence
Prepared by
Roxanne M.
Sabellina
Definitions
Angles are congruent if they
have the same measure.
Segments are congruent if
they have the same length.
Chris Giovanello, LBUSD Math Curriculum Office, 2004
 CongruentTriangles
are triangles with congruent
corresponding parts - their
matching sides and angles
B Y

A C Z X
Triangle ABC  Triangle XYZ
 SSS
Side-Side-Side Postulate
 SSS
If three sides of one triangle are
congruent to its corresponding
sides of another triangle, then
the two triangles are congruent.
H Q

G P
F R
 GHF   PQR
 SAS
Side-Angle-Side Postulate
 SAS
If two sides and an included angle of
one triangle are congruent to its
corresponding two sides and an
included angle of another triangle,
then the two triangles are congruent.
B D

C F
A E
 BCA   FDE
 ASA
Angle-Side-Angle Postulate
 ASA
If two angles and an included side of
one triangle are congruent to its
corresponding two sides and an
included angle of another triangle,
then the two triangles are congruent.
B P

G K
H N
 HGB   NKP
 AAS
Angle-Angle-Side Postulate
 AAS
If two angles and a nonincluded side
of one triangle are congruent to two
its corresponding angles and a
nonincluded side of another triangle,
then the two triangles are congruent.
C T

D G
M X
 CDM   TGX
CPCTC
 CPCTC:
corresponding parts of
congruent triangles are
congruent
legs of an
isosceles
triangle
legs of an isosceles triangle:
the congruent sides of an
isosceles triangle

Legs
base of an
isosceles
triangle
base of an isosceles triangle:
the side of an isosceles
triangle that is not congruent
to either of the other sides

Base
vertex angle of
an isosceles
triangle
vertex angle of an isosceles
triangle:
the angle formed by the two
congruent sides of an
isosceles triangle
Vertex Angle
base angles of
an isosceles
triangle
base angles of an isosceles
triangle:
the angles opposite the
congruent sides of an
isosceles triangle

Base Angles
hypotenuse of a
right triangle
 hypotenuse of a right
triangle:
the side opposite the right
angle
Hypotenuse
legs of a right
triangle
legs of a right triangle:
the sides that are not
opposite the right angle

Legs
 Polya’s
Four-Step Approach
to Problem-Solving
1.Understand the problem.
Learn the necessary underlying
mathematical concepts.
• What is the problem all about?
• What sort of a problem is it?
• What is being asked?
2. Devise a plan.
How are we going to treat the problem?
Possible strategies:
•Draw pictures.
•Use a variable and choose helpful names
for variables or unknowns.
3. Carry out the plan.
•Solve.
•If the plan does not seem to be working,
then start over and try another approach.
•The key is to “keep trying until
something works”.
4. Look back.
Once you have a potential solution, check
to see if it works.
•Did you answer the question.
•Double check to make sure that all of the
conditions related to the problem are
satisfied.
•Double check any computations involved
in finding your solution.
Problem
1) In the figure below, point A is
the midpoint of both segments EC
and DB. (a) What is the length of
segment BC? (b) Find the perimeter
of triangle ABC.
Problem
2) In the isosceles triangle ABC, BA
and BC are congruent. M and N are
points on AC such that MA is
congruent to MB and NB is
congruent to NC. Prove that
triangle AMB and CNB are
congruent.