Triangles

Objectives:

 Students will be able to tell what an isosceles, scalene, and equilateral triangle looks like.
 Students will be able to measure the sides of a triangle.
 Identify the Congruence parts and Congruent Triangles

What is Triangles?

A triangle is a closed, 2-dimensional shape with 3 sides, 3 angles, and 3 vertices. A triangle is also a
polygon.

The above figure is a triangle denoted as △ABC.

Examples of Triangles

Some real-life examples of triangles include sandwiches, traffic signs, cloth hangers, and a rack in
billiards.
Non-examples of Triangles

The above figures are non-examples of triangles. These shapes cannot be called triangles as –

 The first figure is four-sided.

Parts of a Triangle

 A triangle has 3 sides. In triangle ABC, the sides are AB, BC, and CA.
 The angle formed by any two sides of a triangle is the angle of the triangle, denoted by the
symbol ∠. A triangle has three angles. The three angles of the triangle ABC are ∠ABC, ∠BCA,
and ∠CAB. These angles are also called ∠B, ∠C, and ∠A, respectively.
 The point of intersection of any two sides of a triangle is known as a vertex. A triangle has three
vertices. In triangle ABC, the vertices are A, B, and C.

Types of Triangles

Triangles can be classified based on the length of the sides or their angle measurements.

To classify triangles according to their angles, we measure each of their interior angles. Triangles can be
classified by angles, as:
  Acute Triangle or Acute-angled Triangle
 Right Triangle or Right-angled Triangle
 Obtuse Triangle or Obtuse-angled Triangle

The types of triangles based on the length of the sides are –

 Scalene triangle
 Isosceles triangle
 Equilateral triangle
To classify triangles according to both angles and sides, we measure the interior angles and length of the
sides of the triangle. Triangles classified based on both angles and sides are –

 Acute Equilateral Triangle

Two triangles are congruent if they are copies of each other and when superposed,

they cover each other exactly.

∆ABC and ∆PQR have the same size and shape. They are congruent. So, we would

express this as

∆ABC ≅ ∆PQR

This means that, when you place ∆PQR on ∆ABC, P falls on A, Q falls on B and R

falls on C, also PQ falls along AB, QR falls along BC and PR falls along AC. If, under

a given correspondence, two triangles are congruent, then their corresponding parts

(i.e., angles and sides) that match one another are equal. Thus, in these two congruent

triangles, we have:

Corresponding vertices: A and P, B and Q, C and R.

Corresponding sides: AB and PQ, BC and QR, AC and PR.

Corresponding angles: ∠A and ∠P, ∠B and ∠Q, ∠C and ∠R.

This shows that while talking about congruence of triangles, not only the measures of

angles and lengths of sides matter, but also the matching of vertices. In the above case, the

correspondence is

A ↔ P, B ↔ Q, C ↔ R

We may write this as ABC ↔ PQR.

The criteria for congruent triangles class 7 is explained using two axiom rules.

SSS Congruence Rule (Side – Side – Side)

The triangles are said to be congruent if all the three sides of one triangle are equal to the three

corresponding sides of another triangle.

Example:

In the given triangles ABC and PQR, AB = 3.5 cm, BC = 7.1 cm, AC = 5 cm, PQ = 7.1 cm, QR = 5 cm and PR
= 3.5 cm. Examine whether the given two triangles are congruent or not. If yes, then write the
congruence relation in symbolic form.

Solution:

Given: AB = PR = 3.5 cm

BC = PQ = 7.1 cm and

AC = QR = 5 cm

This shows that all the sides of one triangle are equal to all sides of the other triangle. By using SSS
congruence rule, the two triangles are congruent. From the three equality relations, we can write it as

So, the congruence of triangles in symbolic form is ∆ABC ≅ ∆RPQ

The triangles are said to be congruent if the correspondence, two sides and the angle included between
them of a triangle are equal to two corresponding sides and the angle included between them of
another triangle.

Example:

The measurements of some parts of two triangles are given below. Check whether the two triangles are
congruent or not, using SAS congruence rule. Write it in symbolic form, if the triangles are congruent.
For ∆ ABC, AB = 7 cm, BC = 5 cm, ∠B = 50° and for ∆ DEF, DE = 5 cm, EF = 7 cm, ∠E = 50°

Solution:

Given: AB = EF = 7 cm,

BC = DE = 5 cm and

∠B =∠E = 50°

By using SAS congruence rule, it can be written as

∆ABC ≅ ∆FED

ASA Congruence Rule (Angle – Side – Angle)

The triangles are said to be congruent if two angles and the included side of a triangle are equal to two
corresponding angles and the included side of another triangle.
Example:

Conclude that ∆AOC ≅ ∆BOD, using ASA congruence rule from the given figure.

Solution:

Consider the two triangles AOC and BOD,

Given that ∠C = ∠D =70°

Also, note that ∠AOC = ∠BOD = 30° Which are vertically opposite angles

So, we can write that the angle A of triangle AOC

∆AOC = 180° – (70° + 30°) = 80° (By angle sum property of a triangle)

Similarly, for ∠B of ∆BOD = 180° – (70° + 30°) = 80°

So, we have ∠A = ∠B, AC = BD and ∠C = ∠D

Now, the side AC is between ∠A and ∠C and the side BD is between ∠B and ∠D.

So, by using ASA congruence rule, it is written as

∆AOC ≅ ∆BOD.