GCSE: Congruent Triangles

Dr J Frost ([email protected])
www.drfrostmaths.com

GCSE Revision Pack Refs: 169, 170

“Understand and use SSS, SAS, ASA and RHS
conditions to prove the congruence of triangles
using formal arguments.”

Associated Resources:
Last modified: 31st August 2015 GCSEQuestions-Congruence.doc
What is congruence?

These triangles are similar.? ?

These triangles are congruent.
They are the same shape. They are the same shape and size.
(Only rotation and flips allowed)
 Starter
Suppose two triangles have the
side lengths. Do the triangles have
to be congruent?
Yes, because the all the angles
?
are determined by the sides.

Would the same be true if two

quadrilaterals had the same
lengths?
No. Square and rhombus have
?
same side lengths but are
different shapes.

In pairs, determine whether comparing the following pieces of information would be

sufficient to show the triangles are congruent.

a b c d

Two sides the same and Two angles the same and Two sides the same and
3 sides the same. angle between them. All angles the same.
a side the same. angle not between them.
Congruent Congruent  Not necessarily Congruent  Not necessarily
? ?
Congruent (but Similar)
? ?
Congruent (we’ll see
why)
Proving congruence
GCSE papers will often ask for you to prove that two triangles are congruent.
There’s 4 different ways in which we could show this:
!
a
SAS ?
Two sides and the included angle.

b
ASA
Two angles and a?
side.

c
SSS
Three sides. ?

d
RHS
?
Right-angle, hypotenuse and
another side.
Proving congruence

Why is it not sufficient to show two sides are

the same and an angle are the same if the side
is not included?

Try and draw a triangle with the same side

lengths and indicated angle, but that is not
congruent to this one.

Click to Reveal

In general, for “ASS”, there are always

2 possible triangles.
What type of proof
For triangle, identify if showing the indicating things are equal (to another triangle)
are sufficient to prove congruence, and if so, what type of proof we have. This angle is
known from the
other two.

 SSS SAS  SSS SAS  SSS SAS  SSS SAS

ASA RHS ASA RHS ASA RHS ASA RHS

 SSS SAS  SSS SAS  SSS SAS  SSS SAS

ASA RHS ASA RHS ASA RHS ASA RHS
Example Proof
Nov 2008 Non Calc STEP 1: Choose your appropriate
proof (SSS, SAS, etc.)
STEP 2: Justify each of three
things.
STEP 3: Conclusion, stating the
proof you used.

Solution:

• as given
• as given
• ?
is common.
• is congruent to by
Bro Tip: Always start with 4 bullet points: SSS.
three for the three letters in your proof, and
one for your conclusion.
Check Your Understanding
𝐴 𝐵

is a parallelogram. Prove that

triangles and are congruent.

(If you finish quickly, try proving

another way)
𝐷 𝐶
Using : Using : Using :
• as opposite sides of • as opposite angles of
• is common.
parallelogram are equal in parallelogram are equal.
• as opposite sides of
length. • as opposite sides of
parallelogram are equal
• as opposite angles of parallelogram are equal in
in length.
parallelogram are equal. length.
• for same reason.
• ?
Triangles and are
• ?
as opposite sides of • ?
as alternate angles are
parallelogram are equal in equal.
congruent by SSS.
length. • Triangles and are
• Triangles and are congruent by ASA.
congruent by SAS.
Exercises (if multiple parts, only do (a) for now)

NOTE
Q1

?
Exercises
Q2

AB = AC ( is equilateral triangle)
AD is common.
ADC = ADB = 90. ?
Therefore triangles congruent by RHS.

Since and are congruent triangles, .

as is equilateral.
Therefore ?
Congruent Triangles

Q3

?
Exercises
Q4

BC = CE equal sides
CF = CD equal sides
BCF = DCE = 150o ?
BFC is congruent to ECD by SAS.

So BF=ED (congruent triangles)

?
BF = EG ( opp sides of parallelogram)
(2)
Check Your Understanding
What are the four types of congruent triangle proofs?
SSS, SAS, ASA (equivalent to AAS)
? and RHS.
What should be the structure of our proof?
Justification of each of the three letters, followed by
? proof type we used.
conclusion in which we state which

What kinds of justifications can be used for sides and angles?

Circle Theorems, ‘common’ sides, alternate/corresponding
angles, properties of parallelograms,
? sides/angles of regular
polygon are equal.
Using completed proof to justify other sides/angles

In this proof, there was no easy

way to justify that .
However, once we’ve completed
a congruent triangle proof, this
provides a justification for other
sides and angles being the same.

We might write as justification:

“As triangles ABD and DCA are
congruent, .”
Exercises
Q2
We earlier showed and are
congruent, but couldn’t at that
point use because we couldn’t
justify it.

AB = AC ( is equilateral triangle)
AD is common.
ADC = ADB = 90.
Therefore triangles congruent by RHS.

Since and are congruent triangles, .

as is equilateral.
Therefore ?
Exercises
Q4

BC = CE equal sides
CF = CD equal sides
BCF = DCE = 150o
BFC is congruent to ECD by SAS.

So BF=ED (congruent triangles)

?
BF = EG ( opp sides of parallelogram)
(2)