QA – Basics

TRIANGLES

When 3 non collinear points are joined, the figure formed is called a triangle.

Vertices: A, B and C are called the vertices

Sides: AB, BC and AC are called the three sides of the triangle.

Interior angles: ∠CAB, ∠ABC and ∠BCA are called the three interior angles

Exterior angles: In the adjoining figure ∠FCB, ∠CBE, ∠ABD, ∠IAB, ∠HAC, ∠GCA are the
exterior angles of the ∆ ABC.

FUNDAMENTAL PROPERTIES OF TRIANGLES

1) Sum of the three interior angles of a triangle is always 180º.

2) Exterior angle = Sum of two interior opposite angles e.g., ∠CBE = ∠CAB + ∠BCA. The
sum of three (ordered) exterior angles of a triangle is 360º
3) Sum of two sides is always more than the third side
4) The difference of any two sides is always less than the third side.
5) Angles are in the same order as the length of the sides opposite it i.e. the largest
angle will have the longest side opposite it and the smallest angle will have the
shortest side opposite it. Therefore equal sides will have equal angles opposite them

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QA – Basics

6) Mild-point theorem: If the mid-points of two adjacent sides of a triangle are joined
by a line segment, then this segment is parallel to the third side. i.e., if AD = BD and
AE = CE then DE || BC

7) In a ABC, if a, b, c be the three sides opposite to the angles A, B, C respectively,

then

8) If a, b, c be the side opposite to angle A, B and C respectively, then cos A =

and so on.

Types of Triangles

A) According to interior angles

1) Acute angle triangle: Each of the angle of a triangle is less than 90º i.e., a <90º, b
<90º, c <90º

Let a, b and c be the three sides and c is the largest side. Then c2 < (a2 + b2)

2) Obtuse angle triangle: One of the angle is obtuse (i.e., greater than 90º), and other 2
angles are less than 90º

Let a, b and c be the three sides and c is the largest side. Then c2 < (a2 + b2)

3) Right angled triangle: One of the angle is equal to 90º, rest two angles are
complementary to each other i.e. their sum is equal to 90º

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QA – Basics

Let a, b and c be the three sides and c is the largest side. Then c2 = a2 + b2. This is called
Pythagoras theorem.

B) According to sides
1) Scalene triangle: A triangle in which none of the tree sides is equal is called a
scalene triangle (all the three angles are also different).

2) Isosceles triangle: A triangles in which at least two sides are equal is called as
isosceles triangle. In this triangle, the angles opposite to the congruent sides are
also equal.

3) Equilateral triangle: A triangle in which all the three sides are equal is called as,
an equilateral triangle. In this triangle each angle is congruent and equal to 60º.

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QA – Basics

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