TRIANGLES AND

ITS PROPERTIES

BASICS

A triangle is a polygon • A triangle has 3 sides,

with three sides. 3 angles and 3 vertices.
• Each side has one
vertex opposite to it.
D

E F
• D, E and F are
the vertices
• DE, EF and DF are
the sides
• DEF, EDF and
DFE are the angles

PROPERTIES OF MEDIANS AND ALTITUDES

MEDIAN ALTITUDE

Median is a line segment Altitude is the

joining the mid point of perpendicular line
one side of a triangle segment from a vertex
and the opposite vertex of a triangle to the side
opposite to it
P A

F E
F E
Q R
D B C
D
A triangle will have A triangle will have
3 medians 3 altitudes

PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIANS

MEDIANS OF A MEDIANS OF AN MEDIANS OF AN

TRIANGLE EQUILATERAL ISOSCELES
TRIANGLE TRIANGLE
Medians always lie
inside the triangle Medians of an Medians drawn to the
equilateral triangle equal sides of the
will all be equal in triangle will be equal
measure A
A

F E F E

B C B C
D D
AD = BE = CF Sides AB = AC
Median BE = CF

PROPERTIES OF THE ALTITUDES

OF DIFFERENT TRIANGLES

ALTITUDES OF A ALTITUDES OF AN
TRIANGLE ACUTE-ANGLED TRIANGLE

Altitudes of a triangle All the altitudes of an acute-angled triangle

need not always lie lie inside the triangle.
inside the triangle.
A A A

B B
B E E C E C

ALTITUDES OF AN OBTUSE-ANGLED TRIANGLE ALTITUDES OF A

RIGHT TRIANGLE
Two of the altitudes of an obtuse-angled triangle
Two of the altitudes of a
lie outside the triangle
right triangle lie on the
A A A perpendicular sides
A
D D

B C B C E B C
F B C

PROPERTIES OF THE ALTITUDES OF DIFFERENT TRIANGLES

• In an equilateral • In an isosceles
triangle, the medians triangle, the altitudes
and altitudes are the drawn to the equal
same. sides are equal.

• In an equilateral • The altitude drawn to

triangle, all the altitudes the unequal side is
are of equal length. the same as the median

ANGLE SUM PROPERTY OF A TRIANGLE

The sum of the measures of the three angles of

a triangle is 180°
P

a c
Q R
The sum of the measures of the three angles of
a triangle is 180°

a+ b+ c = 180°

SPECIAL PROPERTIES OF EQUILATERAL

AND ISOSCELES TRIANGLES

In an equilateral In an isosceles triangle,

triangle, each angle the angles opposite to
measures 60° the equal sides are equal

A K

60°

60° 60°
B C
L M
In KLM, KL = KM
KLM = KML

EXTERIOR ANGLE PROPERTY

An exterior angle of a triangle is formed by the

extended side and the adjacent side
P

d
a c
S
Q R
d is the exterior angle formed by extending the
side QR and the adjacent side PR.

The exterior angle of a triangle is equal to the

sum of the interior opposite angles
P

d
a c
S
Q R

d= a+ b

PROPERTY OF THE SIDES OF A TRIANGLE

Sum of the lengths of Difference of the

any two sides of a lengths of any two
triangle is greater sides of a triangle is
than the third side less than the third side

A A

B C B C

AB + BC > AC AB - BC < AC
BC + AC > AB BC - AC < AB
AB + AC > BC AB - AC < BC

PYTHAGORAS THEOREM

In a right-angled triangle, If the square of the longest side is equal to

the square of the the sum of the squares of the other two sides,
hypotenuse is equal to then the triangle is a right-angled triangle
the sum of the squares
eg:
of its legs
X The lengths of the sides of a triangle are 6 cm,
8 cm and 10 cm.

Square of the longest side = 102 = 100

Squares of the other two sides:
Z Y C
6 = 36
2
In the right triangle XYZ,
8 = 64
2
XZ2 = XY2 + YZ2
102 = 62 + 82

Hence, the triangle is a right-angled triangle

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