1

ACCEPTABLE REASONS FOR EUCLIDEAN GEOMETRY

GRADE 8 TO 12
THEOREM STATEMENT ACCEPTABLE REASON(S)
LINES
The adjacent angles on a straight line are supplementary. adj  s on str line
If the adjacent angles are supplementary, the outer arms of adj  s are suppl
these angles form a straight line.
The adjacent angles in a revolution add up to 3600.  s around a point OR
 s in a rev
Vertically opposite angles are equal. vert opp  s
If AB//CD, then the alternate angles are equal. alt  s – AB//CD
If AB//CD, then the corresponding angles are equal. corresp  s – AB//CD
If AB//CD, then the co-interior angles are supplementary co-int  s – AB//CD
If the alternate angles between two lines are equal, then the alt  s =
lines are parallel.
If the corresponding angles between two lines are equal, then corresp  s =
the lines are parallel.
If the co-interior angles between two lines are equal, then the co-int  s suppl
lines are parallel.
TRIANGLES
The interior angles of a triangle are supplementary. sum of  s in  OR
int  s of 
The exterior angle of a triangle is equal to the sum of the ext  of 
interior opposite angles.
The angles opposite the equal sides of an isosceles triangle  s opp equal sides OR
are equal. isosceles  OR
isos 
The sides opposite the equal angles of an isosceles triangle sides opp equal  s OR
are equal. isosceles  OR
isos 
If all three sides of a triangle are equal, then each angle is 600. equilateral  OR
equil 
If all three angles in a triangle are 600, then all three sides are equilateral  OR
equal. equil 
In a right angles triangle, the square on the hypotenuse is Theorem of Pythagoras OR
equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. Pythagoras OR
Pythag
If the square on the longest side of a triangle is equal to the converse of theorem of
sum of the squares of the other two sides, then the triangle is Pythagoras OR
right angled. converse of Pythagoras OR
conv of Pythag
If three sides of one triangle are respectively equal to three SSS
sides of another triangle, the triangles are congruent.
If two sides and an included angle of one triangle are SAS OR S  S
respectively equal to two sides and an included angle of
another triangle, the triangles are congruent.
If two angles and one side of one triangle are respectively AAS OR  S
equal to two angles and the corresponding side in another
triangle, the triangles are congruent.
If in two right angled triangles, the hypotenuse and one side of RHS OR 900HS
one triangle are respectively equal to the hypotenuse and one
side of the other, the triangles are congruent.
 2

THEOREM STATEMENT ACCEPTABLE REASON(S)

The line segment joining the midpoints of two sides of a midpt theorem
triangle is parallel to the third side and equal to half the length
of the third side.
The line drawn from the midpoint of one side of a triangle, line through midpt // to second
parallel to the other side, bisects the third side. side OR
conv of midpt theorem
A line drawn parallel to one side of a triangle divides the other line // one side 
two sides proportionally.
If a line divides two sides of a triangle in the same proportion, line  s two sides of  prop
then the line is parallel to the third side.
If two triangles are equiangular, then the corresponding sides ///  s OR
are in proportion (and consequently the triangles are similar). equiangular  s
If the corresponding sides of two triangles are proportional, sides of  s in prop
then the triangles are equiangular (and consequently the
triangles are similar).
If triangles (or parallelograms) are on the same base (or on same base; same height OR
bases of equal length) and between the same parallel lines, equal base; equal height
then the triangles (or parallelograms) have equal areas.
QUADRILATERALS
The interior angles of a quadrilateral add up to 3600. sum of  s in quad
The opposite sides of a parallelogram are parallel. opp sides of parm OR
opp sides of //m
If the opposite sides of a quadrilateral are parallel, then the opp sides of quad are //
quadrilateral is a parallelogram.
The opposite sides of a parallelogram are equal in length. opp sides of parm OR
opp sides of //m
If the opposite sides of a quadrilateral are equal, then the opp sides of quad are =
quadrilateral is a parallelogram.
The opposite angles of a quadrilateral are equal. opp  s of parm OR
opp  s of //m
If the opposite angles of a quadrilateral are equal then the opp  s of quad are equal
quadrilateral is a parallelogram.
The diagonals of a parallelogram bisect each other. diags of parm OR
diags of //m
If the diagonals of a quadrilateral bisect each other, then the diags of quad bisect each
quadrilateral is a parallelogram. other
If one pair of opposite sides of a quadrilateral are equal and one pair opp sides = and //
parallel, then the quadrilateral is a parallelogram.
The diagonals of a parallelogram bisect its area. diag bisects area of parm OR
diag bisect area of //m
The diagonals of a rhombus bisect at right angles. diags of rhombus
The diagonals of a rhombus bisect the interior angles of the diags of rhombus
rhombus
All four sides of a rhombus are equal in length. sides of rhombus
All four sides of a square are equal in length. sides of square
The diagonals of a rectangle are equal in length. diags of rect
The diagonals of a kite intersect at right-angles. diags of kite
A diagonal of a kite bisects the other diagonal. diag of kite
A diagonal of a kite bisects the opposite angles. diag of kite
 3

CIRCLES
THEOREM STATEMENT ACCEPTABLE REASON(S)
The line drawn from the centre of the circle to the midpoint of a line from centre to midpt of
chord is perpendicular to the chord. chord
The line drawn from the centre of the circle perpendicular to line from centre  chord
the chord bisects the chord.
The perpendicular bisector of the chord passes through the  bisector of chord
centre of the circle.
The angle subtended by an arc at the centre of the circle is  at centre = 2   at circ
double the size of the angle subtended by the same arc at the
circumference of the circle (or subtended by the same size
chord)
The angle subtended by the diameter at the circumference of  in semi-circle
the circle is a right angle.
If the angle subtended by a chord at the circumference of the chord subtends 900
circle is 900, then the chord is a diameter.
Angles subtended by a chord of the circle, on the same side of  s in same segm
the chord, are equal. (Angles subtended by the same arc of a
circle at the circumference are equal in length).
If a line segment joining two points subtends equal angles at line subtends =  s
two points on the same side of the line segment, then the four
points are concyclic (lie on the circumference of the circle).
Equal chords subtend equal angles at the circumference of the equal chords; equal  s
circle.
Equal chords subtend equal angles at the centre of the circle. equal chords; equal  s
Equal chords in equal circles subtend equal angles at the equal circles; equal chords;
circumference of the circles. equal  s
Equal chords in equal circles subtend equal angles at the equal circles; equal chords;
centre of the circles. equal  s
The opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral are opp  s of cyclic quad
supplementary.
If the opposite angles of a quadrilateral are supplementary, opp  s are suppl
then the quadrilateral is cyclic.
The exterior angle of a cyclic quadrilateral is equal to the ext  of cyclic quad
interior opposite angle.
If the exterior angle of a cyclic quadrilateral is equal to the ext  = int opp 
interior opposite angle, then the quadrilateral is cyclic.
Two tangents drawn to a circle from the same point outside the tans from same point
circle are equal in length.
The tangent to a circle is perpendicular to the radius / diameter tan  rad
of the circle at the point of contact.
If a line is drawn perpendicular to the radius / diameter at the line  rad
point where the radius / diameter meets the circumference,
then the line is a tangent to the circle.
The angle between the tangent to the circle and the chord tan chord theorem
drawn from the point of contact is equal to the angle that the
chord subtends in the alternate segment of the circle.
If a line is drawn through the end-point of a chord, forms an  between line and chord = 
angle between this line and chord, which is equal to the angle in alt seg
that the chord subtends in the alternate segment of the circle,
then the line is a tangent to the circle.

Green: Grade 11 Theorems

Pink: Grade 12 Theorems