CHAPTER 2

Plane Geometry: Concepts and Applications

LESSON 2.3: TRIANGLES

Classifications of Triangles
According to Sides According to angles
1. Equilateral 1. Right
A triangle with three congruent sides A triangle with a right angle.
and three congruent angles . Each angle measures
60°. 2. Oblique
A triangle with no right angle.
2. Isosceles a. acute – a triangle with three acute
A triangle with two congruent sides and angles.
two congruent angles. (i) Equiangular - an acute triangle
with three congruent angles, each
3. Scalene measures 60°.
A triangle with no congruent sides and
no congruent angles. b. Obtuse- a triangle with one obtuse
angle and two acute angles.
 Congruent and Similar Triangles
Two triangles are congruent when they have the same shape and size. These triangles can be made
to coincide part by part. Moreover, corresponding parts are congruent.

Two triangles are similar if their corresponding angles are congruent and their corresponding sides are
proportional. Hence, these triangles have the same shape but differ in size.

Let 𝐴1 and 𝐴2 be two similar triangles with corresponding sides 𝑎1 , 𝑏1 , 𝑐1 and 𝑎2 , 𝑏2 , 𝑐2 .

𝑎1 𝑏1
𝑎2 𝑏2

𝑐1 𝑐2
Then, the following properties for similar triangles hold:

𝑎1 𝑏1 𝑐1
1. 𝑎2
= 𝑏2
= 𝑐2

𝐴1 𝑎1 2 𝑏1 2 𝑐1 2
2. 𝐴2
= 𝑎2
= 𝑏2
= 𝑐2

𝑃1 𝑎1 𝑏1 𝑐1
3. = = =
𝑃2 𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑐2
 Parts of a Triangle
PARTS DEFINITION
1. Base Any of the three sides of the triangle
2. Vertex angle The angle opposite the base
3. Base angles Two angles adjacent to the base
4. Altitude Line segment drawn from a vertex perpendicular to the opposite side
5. Orthocenter The point of intersection of the altitudes of a triangle
6. Median Line segment connecting the midpoint of a sideand the opposite vertex
7. Centroid The point of intersection of the medians of a triangle
8. Angle bisector Line segment dividing an angle of a triangle into two congruent angles
and has endpoints on a vertex and the opposite side
9. Incenter The point of intersection of the angle bisectors
10. Perpendicular Line dividing the side into two congruent segments and is
Bisector of a side perpendicular to the side
11. Circumcenter The point of intersection of the perpendicular bisectors of the sides of
a triangle
 List of Formulas
Consider an arbitrary triangle with sides 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 and angles 𝐴, 𝐵 and 𝐶. Also let ℎ𝑐 , 𝑚𝑐 and 𝑙𝑐 be the
lengths of the altitude, median and angle bisector from vertex 𝐶, respectively. Then
Altitude ℎ𝑐 =
2 𝑠(𝑠−𝑎)(𝑠−𝑏)(𝑠−𝑐)
, where 𝑠 is the semi-perimeter of the triangle
𝑐

Median 𝑚𝑐 =
2𝑎2 + 2𝑏 2 − 𝑐 2
2
Angle bisector 𝑎𝑏[ 𝑎 + 𝑏 2 − 𝑐 2 ]
𝑙𝑐 =
𝑎+𝑏
1
Area of a • 𝐴 = 2 𝑏ℎ
triangle
1
• 𝐴 = 2 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃, where 𝜃 is the included angle of sides 𝑎 and 𝑏

• 𝐴= 𝑠(𝑠 − 𝑎)(𝑠 − 𝑏)(𝑠 − 𝑐), where 𝑠 is the semi-perimeter of the triangle

NOTE: The third formula for finding the area of the triangle is commonly called as the “Heron’s
Formula”
EXERCISES: Solve the following as directed.
1) Find the altitude and the area of an equilateral triangle whose
side is 8 cm. long.

2) Find the area of a triangle if its two sides measure 6 inches and 9
inches, and the bisector of the angle between these sides
measures 𝟒 𝟑 inches.

3) In a right triangle, the bisector of a right angle divides the

hypotenuse in the ratio of 3:5. Find the measures of the acute
angles of the triangle.

4) The lengths of the sides of a triangle are in the ratio of 17:10:9.

Find the lengths of the three sides if the area of the triangle is
𝟓𝟕𝟔 𝒄𝒎𝟐 .
EXERCISES:
5) Given triangle ABC whose sides are AB = 15 inches, AC = 25
inches, and BC = 30 inches. From a point D on side AB, a line DE is
drawn to a point E on side AC such that angle ADE is equal to
angle ABC. If the perimeter of triangle ADE is 28 inches, find the
lengths of line segments BD and CE.

6) Two altitudes of an isosceles triangle are equal to 20 cm and 30

cm. Determine the possible measures of the base angles of the
triangle.
EXERCISES:
7) In a right triangle, a line perpendicular to the hypotenuse drawn
from the midpoint of one of the sides divides the hypotenuse into
segments which are 10 cm and 6 cm long. Find the lengths of the
two sides of the triangle.

8) The area of a triangle is equal to 𝟒𝟖 𝒄𝒎𝟐 and two of its sides

measure 12 cm and 9 cm, respectively. Find the possible measures
of the included angles of the given sides.