Triangle Congruence

Isosceles and Equilateral Triangles

Key Objectives
Prove theorems about isosceles and equilateral triangles.
Apply properties of isosceles and equilateral triangles.

Key Terms

The congruent sides of an isosceles triangle are called the legs.

The vertex angle is the angle formed by the legs (congruent sides) of an isosceles triangle.
The side opposite of the vertex angle in an isosceles triangle is called the base.
The base angles of an isosceles triangle are the two angles that have the base as a side.

Theorems, Postulates, Corollaries, and Properties

Isosceles Triangle Theorem If two sides of a triangle are congruent, then the angles opposite the sides are congruent.
Converse of Isosceles Triangle Theorem If two angles of a triangle are congruent, then the sides opposite those angles
are congruent.
Equilateral Triangle Theorem If a triangle is equilateral, then it is equiangular.
Equiangular Triangle Theorem If a triangle is equiangular, then it is equilateral.

Example 1 Applying the Isosceles Triangle Theorem

An isosceles triangle is a triangle with at least two congruent
sides.

The Isosceles Triangle Theorem states that when a triangle

has two congruent sides, it can be assumed that the angles
opposite of those sides are also congruent.

The Converse of Isosceles Triangle Theorem states the reverse

of the Isosceles Triangle Theorem. By the converse, when a
triangle has two congruent angles, it can be assumed that the
sides opposite of those angles are also congruent.

The figure is given for this proof, along with mABE,

mCDE, and the fact that C is the midpoint between B and
D. However, notice that this proof does not use the fact that
C is a midpoint.
Make a plan for the proof. The conclusion to be proven is
that BE = ED. Notice that BE and ED are the measures of
two sides of BED. So, show that CBE is congruent to
CDE. From there, the Converse of Isosceles Triangle
Theorem can be applied because BED contains two
congruent angles, CBE and CDE. So, by the Converse
of Isosceles Triangle Theorem, the sides of BED that are
opposite of CBE and CDE must also be congruent.

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Geometry

Example 2 Finding the Measure of an Angle

In this example the measure of only one angle is given.
mR = 28
Additionally, from the figure you know that two sides of
PQR are also congruent. The Isosceles Triangle Theorem
can be applied to any triangle with two congruent sides. So,
by the Isosceles Triangle Theorem, the angles opposite of the
each congruent side must also be congruent. Therefore, if
mP = x, then mQ = x as well.
Now use the Triangle Sum Theorem to write an equation
where the sum of the angles is equal to 180. Then, solve this
equation for x. Since mQ = x, the value of x is the answer.
The given triangle, ABC, is an isosceles triangle since two
of its sides, AB and AC are given to be congruent. So, the
Isosceles Triangle Theorem can be applied. By the Isosceles
Triangle Theorem, B is congruent to C since B and C
are the angles opposite of the congruent sides. Then by the
definition of congruence, the measure of the two angles must
be equal. So, write an equation using the expression given
for mB, (x + 44), and the expression given for mC, 3x.
Solve this equation for x and then substitute the value of x
back into the expression for mC to find that angle's measure.

Example 3 Using Properties of Equilateral Triangles

An equilateral triangle has three congruent sides and an
equiangular triangle has three congruent angles.
The Equilateral Triangle Theorem and the Equiangular
Triangle Theorem basically state that being one of those two
types of triangles implies the other. Specifically, by the
Equilateral Triangle Theorem, if it is known that a triangle
is equilateral, then it can be assumed that the triangle is also
equiangular. And by the Equiangular Triangle Theorem, if it
is known that a triangle is equiangular, then it can be assumed
that the triangle is also equilateral.
So, all equilateral triangles are equiangular and all equiangular
triangles are equilateral.

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Triangle Congruence

In this example it is given that the three sides of PQR are

congruent. Therefore, PQR is an equilateral triangle. So,
by the Equilateral Triangle Theorem, it can be assumed that
PQR is also equiangular. It follows that the measure of each
angle in PQR must be equal to 60, since PQR is
equiangular. So, set the expression given for mP,
(2x + 10), equal to 60 and solve the equation for x.

The triangle given here has three congruent angles. Therefore,

the triangle is equiangular. So, by the Equiangular Triangle
Theorem, it can be assumed that the triangle is also
equilateral. Equilateral triangle must have three congruent
sides, by definition. So, the expressions given for the lengths
of two of the triangle's sides can be set equal to each other.
2t + 13 = 5t + 1
Solve this equation for t.

Example 4 Using Coordinate Proof

Remember, when writing a coordinate proof, the given figure
can be placed anywhere on a coordinate plane. Since the
figure given here is a right triangle, place the right angle at
the origin where one side of the triangle is placed on the x-axis
and another side is placed on the y-axis. And since it is given
that AB and BC are congruent, the right angle must be B.
So, draw ABC so that B is at the origin, A is on the y-axis,
and C is on the x-axis.
Here, the length of AB is chosen to be 2s and the length of
BC is chosen to be 2r. So, the coordinates of A and C are
(0, 2s) and (2r, 0), respectively.
D is given to be the midpoint of AC. So, use the midpoint
formula to find the coordinates of D.
To prove that BDC is isosceles, show that the lengths of
two of the sides are equal. Use the distance formula to find
the lengths of BD and CD.

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