Homeschool · Diploma track · Grades 9-10

Geometry

A full year of Geometry on the California traditional pathway, built to be the student's whole course in the subject rather than a supplement to one. Geometry is where students who were fine at algebra often stall, because it asks for something genuinely new: an argument, written down, in which every claim names the theorem that licenses it. Eleven units take the year from the undefined terms and constructions through reasoning and proof, parallel lines, transformations and what congruence actually means, congruent triangles, the relationships inside a triangle, quadrilaterals, similarity, right-triangle trigonometry, circles, and the areas and volumes the standards close on. Every proof is written in full, with the reason column completed rather than left as an exercise.

DIPLOMA TRACK CA CCSS MATH TRADITIONAL PATHWAY MODEL ANSWERS 75 LESSONS 880 PRACTICE PROBLEMS Algebra 1. This is a complete course in Geometry and does not assume other instruction in the subject.

Course overview

What this year covers

Geometry is the one high school mathematics course that is mostly about justification rather than calculation, and that is why capable algebra students so often find it hard. The question stops being what is the answer and becomes how do you know, and a student who has never been asked that before has to learn a new habit from scratch. This course is built around that habit. Every claim in every worked example names the definition, postulate or theorem that licenses it, and no step is ever justified by how the diagram looks. The eleven units follow the California traditional pathway in the order the standards intend: the undefined terms and the constructions that make them concrete, then reasoning and proof as a subject in its own right, parallel lines, transformations and the definition of congruence through rigid motion, congruent triangles, the special segments and inequalities inside a triangle, quadrilaterals and their hierarchy, similarity and dilation, right-triangle trigonometry, circles, and the area and volume work the standards close on. The four errors that cost geometry students the most marks are named where they arise: reading a fact off the picture, using the theorem you are trying to prove, confusing a statement with its converse, and writing a congruence statement whose letters do not correspond. Every lesson ends with ten problems, every unit with a ten-problem review, and the year with six pieces of mathematical writing that have full model responses.

  • U1Unit 1: Foundations, Points, Lines and Angles7 lessons
  • U2Unit 2: Reasoning and Proof7 lessons
  • U3Unit 3: Parallel and Perpendicular Lines7 lessons
  • U4Unit 4: Transformations and the Meaning of Congruence7 lessons
  • U5Unit 5: Congruent Triangles7 lessons
  • U6Unit 6: Relationships Within Triangles7 lessons
  • U7Unit 7: Quadrilaterals and Polygons7 lessons
  • U8Unit 8: Similarity7 lessons
  • U9Unit 9: Right Triangles and Trigonometry7 lessons
  • U10Unit 10: Circles6 lessons
  • U11Unit 11: Area, Surface Area and Volume6 lessons

All eleven units are open, 75 lessons in all. Every lesson opens with the method, one extended worked example, and ten practice problems. Every problem has a full worked solution, so you can find the step where yours went wrong. Each unit closes with a ten-problem mixed review.

Free preview: open any 5 lessons without an account. The counter on the left keeps track.

Lesson 1.1 · Unit 1 · G-CO.1

Starting from terms the subject refuses to define

Geometry is built on proof, and a proof has to start somewhere. If every term were defined using other terms, the definitions would either run forever or circle back on themselves. So three terms are left undefined on purpose, described but never defined, and everything else is built from them.

The method
  1. Point, line and plane are undefined terms. They are described, not defined: a point has position but no size, a line extends without end in two directions and has no thickness, a plane is a flat surface extending without end.
  2. Every other term in the course is defined from them, which is what makes a chain of proof possible rather than circular.
  3. A point is named by a capital letter; a line by two points on it with a double-headed arrow, \( \overleftrightarrow{AB} \), or by a single lowercase letter.
  4. A segment is the part between two endpoints, written \( \overline{AB} \), and a ray starts at one endpoint and continues through another, written \( \overrightarrow{AB} \).
  5. The order of letters matters for a ray and not for a line or segment. \( \overrightarrow{AB} \) starts at \( A \); \( \overrightarrow{BA} \) starts at \( B \), and they are different rays.
  6. Collinear points lie on one line; coplanar points lie in one plane. Any two points are collinear and any three are coplanar, so the terms only say something when applied to three or four.
  7. Two distinct lines intersect in at most one point, and two distinct planes that intersect do so in a line.
  8. Through any two points there is exactly one line, and through any three noncollinear points exactly one plane. These are postulates: accepted without proof because the subject has to begin somewhere.

Where students lose marks: using \( AB \) when \( \overline{AB} \) is meant. Without the bar, \( AB \) means the length, a number. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \) says two segments are congruent; \( AB = CD \) says two numbers are equal. Both are correct statements and a proof must use the right one.

Worked example

The problem. Points \( A \), \( B \) and \( C \) lie on one line with \( B \) between \( A \) and \( C \). Point \( D \) is not on that line. (a) Name every segment determined by these four points. (b) Is \( \overrightarrow{AB} \) the same as \( \overrightarrow{BA} \)? (c) How many planes contain all four points? (d) Explain why \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{BC} \) and \( AB = BC \) say the same thing in different language.

Step one: count the segments in (a) systematically. A segment is determined by any two of the four points, so count pairs rather than trying to list them from a picture. Four points taken two at a time give six pairs.

Step two: list them. \( \overline{AB} \), \( \overline{AC} \), \( \overline{AD} \), \( \overline{BC} \), \( \overline{BD} \), \( \overline{CD} \). Six, as counted. Note that \( \overline{BA} \) is not a seventh: a segment has no direction, so \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{BA} \) name the same segment.

Step three: answer (b) by checking the endpoint. A ray does have direction. \( \overrightarrow{AB} \) begins at \( A \) and passes through \( B \), continuing past it. \( \overrightarrow{BA} \) begins at \( B \) and passes through \( A \), continuing past it in the opposite direction. They are different rays.

Step four: make the difference concrete. Since \( B \) is between \( A \) and \( C \), the point \( C \) lies on \( \overrightarrow{AB} \), because going from \( A \) through \( B \) and onward reaches \( C \). But \( C \) does not lie on \( \overrightarrow{BA} \), which heads away from \( C \). One point settles the question.

Step five: set up (c) using the postulate. Three noncollinear points determine exactly one plane. Here \( A \), \( B \) and \( C \) are collinear, so they do not determine a plane by themselves; infinitely many planes contain a single line.

Step six: finish (c). Take any two of \( A \), \( B \), \( C \) together with \( D \). Since \( D \) is off the line, those three points are noncollinear and determine exactly one plane. That plane contains the line through \( A \), \( B \) and \( C \), since it contains two of its points, and it contains \( D \). So there is exactly one plane containing all four.

Step seven: answer (d) by identifying what each statement is about. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{BC} \) is a statement about two geometric objects: the segments are congruent, meaning one can be laid exactly on the other. \( AB = BC \) is a statement about two numbers: the lengths are equal.

Step eight: state the relationship and why the distinction is kept. The two statements are equivalent, since segments are congruent exactly when their lengths are equal, and a proof may move between them by the definition of congruent segments. They are kept separate because the reason column has to name which one a line is asserting. A step that adds lengths is using the arithmetic statement; a step that concludes two figures coincide is using the geometric one. Writing \( \overline{AB} = \overline{BC} \) mixes them and is marked wrong.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Name the three undefined terms of geometry.
    Show the full solution

    Point, line and plane

  2. What does \( \overline{PQ} \) mean?
    Show the full solution

    The segment with endpoints \( P \) and \( Q \)

  3. What does \( PQ \) mean, without the bar?
    Show the full solution

    The length of that segment, a number

  4. Are \( \overrightarrow{XY} \) and \( \overrightarrow{YX} \) the same ray?
    Show the full solution

    They have different endpoints and point in opposite directions. No

  5. How many lines pass through two distinct points?
    Show the full solution

    Exactly one

  6. How many segments are determined by five points, no three collinear?
    Show the full solution

    A segment is determined by a pair of points, so count pairs. The first point can be chosen five ways and the second four, giving 20 ordered pairs, but a segment has no direction so each is counted twice: \( 20 \div 2 = 10 \). Checking by listing with points \( A \) through \( E \): \( AB, AC, AD, AE \) is four; \( BC, BD, BE \) is three; \( CD, CE \) is two; \( DE \) is one. Total \( 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 10 \). 10

  7. Three points lie on a line. How many planes contain all three?
    Show the full solution

    The postulate that three points determine exactly one plane requires them to be noncollinear, so it does not apply here. Picture the line as an axle: a plane containing it can be rotated about it to any position and still contains all three points. Infinitely many

  8. Explain why point, line and plane are left undefined rather than being defined carefully.
    Show the full solution

    Every definition explains one term using other terms. Those other terms then need definitions of their own, using still others. Only two endings are possible: the chain runs forever, or it comes back on itself and defines a term using something that was defined from it. Neither gives a foundation a proof can rest on. The resolution is to stop deliberately. A few terms are taken as understood without definition, described well enough to work with, and every other term in the subject is defined from them. That gives a finite chain with a bottom. The same structure appears in the statements: a few postulates are accepted without proof, and every theorem is proved from them. Undefined terms and postulates are the same idea applied to words and to claims. Defining every term would require an infinite or circular chain, so a few are taken as understood

  9. Point \( B \) is between \( A \) and \( C \). Which of \( \overrightarrow{AB} \), \( \overrightarrow{AC} \), \( \overrightarrow{BA} \), \( \overrightarrow{BC} \) name the same ray?
    Show the full solution

    A ray is determined by its endpoint and its direction, not by which second point is named. \( \overrightarrow{AB} \) and \( \overrightarrow{AC} \) both start at \( A \) and head toward \( B \) and \( C \), which lie the same way since \( B \) is between them. Same endpoint, same direction, so they are the same ray. \( \overrightarrow{BA} \) starts at \( B \) heading toward \( A \). \( \overrightarrow{BC} \) starts at \( B \) heading the opposite way toward \( C \). Same endpoint, opposite directions, so they are different rays. Together they make the whole line, and two such rays are called opposite rays. \( \overrightarrow{AB} \) and \( \overrightarrow{AC} \) are the same; \( \overrightarrow{BA} \) and \( \overrightarrow{BC} \) are opposite rays

  10. A student writes \( \overline{AB} = \overline{CD} \) in a proof. Explain what is wrong and give both correct versions.
    Show the full solution

    The equals sign relates numbers, and \( \overline{AB} \) is not a number; it is a segment, a set of points. Saying one set of points equals another would mean they are the same segment, which is almost never what is intended. Two correct statements are available, and they say different things in different language. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \) says the segments are congruent. The reason column would cite a theorem about figures. \( AB = CD \) says their lengths are equal. The reason column would cite an arithmetic property, and this is the form needed before adding or subtracting lengths. They are equivalent, and the definition of congruent segments is the theorem that licenses moving between them. A proof that needs to add lengths converts to the equation form first and says so. Use \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \) for the figures or \( AB = CD \) for the lengths; an equals sign between two segments is not meaningful

Lesson 1.2 · Unit 1 · G-GPE.6

Adding lengths, and finding the point exactly halfway

The segment addition postulate is the first tool in the course that lets you write an equation from a diagram. On the coordinate plane the same ideas become formulas, and both the distance and midpoint formulas are worth deriving once so that misremembering them is recoverable.

The method
  1. The segment addition postulate: if \( B \) is between \( A \) and \( C \), then \( AB + BC = AC \).
  2. Betweenness has to be given or marked. The postulate says nothing about three points until one is known to lie between the others.
  3. Use it to build an equation from a diagram, substituting the given expressions and solving for the unknown.
  4. Substitute the solution back to find the lengths asked for, since the question usually wants \( AB \) rather than \( x \).
  5. The midpoint of a segment divides it into two congruent segments, so \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \) exactly when \( AM = MC \).
  6. On the coordinate plane the midpoint is the average of the coordinates: \( M = \left( \dfrac{x_1 + x_2}{2}, \dfrac{y_1 + y_2}{2} \right) \).
  7. The distance formula is the Pythagorean theorem in disguise: \( d = \sqrt{(x_2 - x_1)^2 + (y_2 - y_1)^2} \), the hypotenuse of a right triangle whose legs are the horizontal and vertical differences.
  8. Check a midpoint by confirming it is the same distance from each endpoint, and check a segment addition answer by confirming the two parts sum to the whole.

Where students lose marks: subtracting in the midpoint formula. The midpoint averages the coordinates and the distance formula subtracts them. Mixing them up gives an answer that fails the sanity check of lying between the two points.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Point \( B \) lies between \( A \) and \( C \) with \( AB = 3x + 2 \), \( BC = 2x - 1 \) and \( AC = 26 \). Find \( AB \) and \( BC \). (b) For \( A(-3, 2) \) and \( B(5, 8) \), find the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \) and the length \( AB \).

Step one: write the postulate for (a) before substituting. Since \( B \) is between \( A \) and \( C \), the segment addition postulate gives \[ AB + BC = AC \] Naming the postulate first is the habit this course is built on: the equation exists because a postulate licenses it, not because the picture suggests it.

Step two: substitute and solve. \( (3x + 2) + (2x - 1) = 26 \), so \( 5x + 1 = 26 \), giving \( 5x = 25 \) and \( x = 5 \).

Step three: answer what was asked. The question wants lengths, not \( x \). \( AB = 3(5) + 2 = 17 \) and \( BC = 2(5) - 1 = 9 \).

Step four: check (a) against the postulate. \( 17 + 9 = 26 \), which is \( AC \). Correct. Both lengths are positive, as lengths must be, which is a second check worth making when an expression could have gone negative.

Step five: find the midpoint in (b) by averaging. \[ M = \left( \frac{-3 + 5}{2}, \frac{2 + 8}{2} \right) = \left( \frac{2}{2}, \frac{10}{2} \right) = (1, 5) \]

Step six: sanity check the midpoint. Its \( x \) coordinate, 1, lies between \( -3 \) and 5, and its \( y \) coordinate, 5, lies between 2 and 8. A midpoint that fails this test has been computed by subtracting instead of averaging.

Step seven: find the length with the distance formula. The horizontal difference is \( 5 - (-3) = 8 \) and the vertical difference is \( 8 - 2 = 6 \). \[ AB = \sqrt{8^2 + 6^2} = \sqrt{64 + 36} = \sqrt{100} = 10 \] The differences may be taken in either order, since both are squared and squaring removes the sign.

Step eight: verify the midpoint using the distance formula. From \( A(-3,2) \) to \( M(1,5) \): differences 4 and 3, so \( \sqrt{16 + 9} = \sqrt{25} = 5 \). From \( M(1,5) \) to \( B(5,8) \): differences 4 and 3, so also 5. The two halves are equal and they sum to 10, which is \( AB \). The midpoint is confirmed independently of the formula that produced it.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. If \( B \) is between \( A \) and \( C \), \( AB = 7 \) and \( BC = 11 \), find \( AC \).
    Show the full solution

    Segment addition postulate. 18

  2. Find the midpoint of the segment from \( (2, 6) \) to \( (10, 4) \).
    Show the full solution

    Average each coordinate. \( (6, 5) \)

  3. Find the distance between \( (0, 0) \) and \( (3, 4) \).
    Show the full solution

    \( \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \). 5

  4. \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \) and \( AM = 9 \). Find \( AB \).
    Show the full solution

    A midpoint makes two congruent segments. 18

  5. What postulate lets you write \( AB + BC = AC \)?
    Show the full solution

    The segment addition postulate, provided \( B \) is between \( A \) and \( C \)

  6. \( B \) is between \( A \) and \( C \) with \( AB = 4x - 3 \), \( BC = x + 5 \) and \( AC = 32 \). Find all three lengths.
    Show the full solution

    By the segment addition postulate, \( (4x - 3) + (x + 5) = 32 \), so \( 5x + 2 = 32 \), giving \( 5x = 30 \) and \( x = 6 \). \( AB = 4(6) - 3 = 21 \) and \( BC = 6 + 5 = 11 \). Check: \( 21 + 11 = 32 \). Correct, and both parts are positive. \( AB = 21 \), \( BC = 11 \), \( AC = 32 \)

  7. Find the distance between \( (-2, 5) \) and \( (4, -3) \).
    Show the full solution

    Horizontal difference: \( 4 - (-2) = 6 \). Vertical difference: \( -3 - 5 = -8 \). \( d = \sqrt{6^2 + (-8)^2} = \sqrt{36 + 64} = \sqrt{100} = 10 \). The negative vertical difference is squared away, which is why the order of subtraction does not matter. 10

  8. \( M(3, -1) \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \) and \( A \) is \( (7, 5) \). Find \( B \).
    Show the full solution

    The midpoint formula gives two equations. For the \( x \) coordinates: \( \dfrac{7 + x}{2} = 3 \), so \( 7 + x = 6 \) and \( x = -1 \). For the \( y \) coordinates: \( \dfrac{5 + y}{2} = -1 \), so \( 5 + y = -2 \) and \( y = -7 \). So \( B \) is \( (-1, -7) \). Check by averaging: \( \dfrac{7 + (-1)}{2} = 3 \) and \( \dfrac{5 + (-7)}{2} = -1 \), which is \( M \). Correct. A useful shortcut worth knowing: the midpoint is as far from \( B \) as from \( A \), so from \( A(7,5) \) move to \( M(3,-1) \) by going 4 left and 6 down, then repeat the same move to reach \( (-1, -7) \). \( B(-1, -7) \)

  9. Explain why the distance formula is the Pythagorean theorem.
    Show the full solution

    Take two points \( (x_1, y_1) \) and \( (x_2, y_2) \). Draw the horizontal segment from the first to \( (x_2, y_1) \) and the vertical segment from there to the second. Those two segments meet at a right angle, because one is horizontal and the other vertical, so together with the segment joining the original points they form a right triangle. The horizontal leg has length \( |x_2 - x_1| \) and the vertical leg \( |y_2 - y_1| \). The segment joining the two points is the hypotenuse. The Pythagorean theorem gives \( d^2 = (x_2 - x_1)^2 + (y_2 - y_1)^2 \), and taking the positive square root gives the distance formula. The absolute values disappear because each quantity is squared. This is worth knowing rather than memorizing the formula, because a forgotten formula can be rebuilt in ten seconds from a sketch. The horizontal and vertical differences are the legs of a right triangle whose hypotenuse is the distance

  10. \( B \) is between \( A \) and \( C \). \( AB = 2x + 1 \), \( BC = 3x - 4 \), and \( AB = BC \). Find \( AC \), and say what this makes \( B \).
    Show the full solution

    Two facts are given, so use them in order. First, \( AB = BC \) gives \( 2x + 1 = 3x - 4 \), so \( x = 5 \). Then \( AB = 2(5) + 1 = 11 \) and \( BC = 3(5) - 4 = 11 \). Equal, as required. By the segment addition postulate, \( AC = 11 + 11 = 22 \). Since \( B \) lies between \( A \) and \( C \) and divides \( \overline{AC} \) into two congruent segments, \( B \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \) by the definition of a midpoint. Both conditions in the definition matter and both were checked: a point equidistant from \( A \) and \( C \) but off the line is not the midpoint, and betweenness is what rules that out. \( AC = 22 \), and \( B \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \)

Lesson 1.3 · Unit 1 · G-CO.1

Naming an angle unambiguously, and adding angle measures

Angles work exactly like segments: there is an addition postulate, a bisector, and the same distinction between the figure and its measure. The one thing genuinely new is naming, where a careless single letter can name three different angles at once.

The method
  1. An angle is two rays with a common endpoint, called the vertex, and the rays are its sides.
  2. Name an angle three ways: by three points with the vertex in the middle, \( \angle ABC \); by the vertex alone, \( \angle B \); or by a number written inside it.
  3. The single-letter name is only allowed when one angle has that vertex. If three angles share vertex \( B \), then \( \angle B \) is ambiguous and the three-letter name is required.
  4. \( m\angle ABC \) is the measure, a number; \( \angle ABC \) is the figure. Congruent angles have equal measures.
  5. Classify by measure: acute is less than \( 90^\circ \), right is exactly \( 90^\circ \), obtuse is between \( 90^\circ \) and \( 180^\circ \), and straight is exactly \( 180^\circ \).
  6. The angle addition postulate: if \( D \) is in the interior of \( \angle ABC \), then \( m\angle ABD + m\angle DBC = m\angle ABC \).
  7. An angle bisector is a ray through the interior dividing the angle into two congruent angles.
  8. Check an angle answer against its classification. An angle computed as \( 115^\circ \) that was marked as acute in the diagram means an error upstream.

Where students lose marks: naming an angle with the vertex letter not in the middle. \( \angle ABC \) has vertex \( B \). Writing \( \angle BAC \) for the same angle names a different angle entirely, the one with vertex \( A \).

Worked example

The problem. Ray \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) lies in the interior of \( \angle ABC \), with \( m\angle ABD = 4x \), \( m\angle DBC = 2x + 10 \) and \( m\angle ABC = 70^\circ \). (a) Find all three measures. (b) Is \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) the angle bisector? (c) Classify each of the three angles. (d) Explain why \( \angle B \) would be an unacceptable name here.

Step one: name the postulate before writing the equation. Since \( D \) is in the interior of \( \angle ABC \), the angle addition postulate applies: \[ m\angle ABD + m\angle DBC = m\angle ABC \] Without the interior condition the postulate says nothing, so that condition is quoted from the given information rather than read off a picture.

Step two: substitute and solve. \( 4x + (2x + 10) = 70 \), so \( 6x + 10 = 70 \), giving \( 6x = 60 \) and \( x = 10 \).

Step three: find the measures. \( m\angle ABD = 4(10) = 40^\circ \) and \( m\angle DBC = 2(10) + 10 = 30^\circ \), with \( m\angle ABC = 70^\circ \) as given.

Step four: check against the postulate. \( 40 + 30 = 70 \). Correct, and both parts are positive as angle measures must be.

Step five: answer (b) from the definition. An angle bisector divides an angle into two congruent angles. Here the two parts measure \( 40^\circ \) and \( 30^\circ \), which are not equal, so \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) is not the bisector. Had it been the bisector, each part would measure \( 35^\circ \).

Step six: answer (c). \( \angle ABD \) at \( 40^\circ \) is acute; \( \angle DBC \) at \( 30^\circ \) is acute; \( \angle ABC \) at \( 70^\circ \) is acute. All three are less than \( 90^\circ \), which is consistent: two acute angles can sum to an obtuse one, but here they do not.

Step seven: answer (d). Three angles in this figure have vertex \( B \): \( \angle ABD \), \( \angle DBC \) and \( \angle ABC \). Writing \( \angle B \) would not say which of the three is meant, so the name is ambiguous and is not accepted. The three-letter name is required whenever more than one angle shares a vertex.

Step eight: note the naming rule that follows. In \( \angle ABD \) the middle letter \( B \) is the vertex and the outer letters name a point on each side. The outer two may be swapped, so \( \angle ABD \) and \( \angle DBA \) are the same angle, but the middle letter may not move. \( \angle BAD \) would name an angle with vertex \( A \), which is a different figure.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Classify an angle measuring \( 143^\circ \).
    Show the full solution

    Obtuse

  2. What is the vertex of \( \angle PQR \)?
    Show the full solution

    The middle letter. \( Q \)

  3. \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) bisects \( \angle ABC \) and \( m\angle ABC = 84^\circ \). Find \( m\angle ABD \).
    Show the full solution

    A bisector makes two congruent angles. \( 42^\circ \)

  4. \( m\angle ABD = 25^\circ \) and \( m\angle DBC = 40^\circ \), with \( D \) interior. Find \( m\angle ABC \).
    Show the full solution

    Angle addition postulate. \( 65^\circ \)

  5. What is the difference between \( \angle ABC \) and \( m\angle ABC \)?
    Show the full solution

    The first is the figure; the second is its measure, a number

  6. \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) is in the interior of \( \angle ABC \) with \( m\angle ABD = 3x + 5 \), \( m\angle DBC = x + 15 \) and \( m\angle ABC = 88^\circ \). Find all three.
    Show the full solution

    By the angle addition postulate, \( (3x + 5) + (x + 15) = 88 \), so \( 4x + 20 = 88 \), giving \( 4x = 68 \) and \( x = 17 \). \( m\angle ABD = 3(17) + 5 = 56^\circ \) and \( m\angle DBC = 17 + 15 = 32^\circ \). Check: \( 56 + 32 = 88 \). Correct. \( 56^\circ \), \( 32^\circ \) and \( 88^\circ \)

  7. \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) bisects \( \angle ABC \), with \( m\angle ABD = 5x - 4 \) and \( m\angle DBC = 3x + 10 \). Find \( m\angle ABC \).
    Show the full solution

    A bisector makes the two parts congruent, so their measures are equal: \( 5x - 4 = 3x + 10 \), giving \( 2x = 14 \) and \( x = 7 \). Each part measures \( 5(7) - 4 = 31^\circ \), and checking the other expression, \( 3(7) + 10 = 31^\circ \). They agree. By the angle addition postulate, \( m\angle ABC = 31 + 31 = 62^\circ \). The question asked for the whole angle, not for \( x \) or for one part, which is the step most often skipped. \( 62^\circ \)

  8. Two angles share vertex \( M \). A student refers to "\( \angle M \)". What should they write instead, and why?
    Show the full solution

    The single-letter name is only unambiguous when exactly one angle has that vertex. With two angles at \( M \), the name \( \angle M \) could mean either, so a reader cannot tell which is being claimed about. They should use the three-letter name, with \( M \) in the middle and a point from each side on the outside: \( \angle PMQ \) and \( \angle QMR \), for instance. This matters more in geometry than it looks. A proof is an argument a reader must be able to check line by line, and a line that could mean two things cannot be checked. Ambiguous naming is marked wrong even when the intended meaning is guessable. A three-letter name with \( M \) in the middle, because two angles share that vertex

  9. \( m\angle ABD = 2x \), \( m\angle DBC = 3x \), and \( \angle ABC \) is a right angle with \( D \) interior. Find both parts.
    Show the full solution

    A right angle measures \( 90^\circ \) by definition, so that is the whole. By the angle addition postulate, \( 2x + 3x = 90 \), so \( 5x = 90 \) and \( x = 18 \). \( m\angle ABD = 2(18) = 36^\circ \) and \( m\angle DBC = 3(18) = 54^\circ \). Check: \( 36 + 54 = 90 \). Correct, and both are acute, which is necessarily true when two positive angles sum to a right angle. \( 36^\circ \) and \( 54^\circ \)

  10. An angle measures \( (7x - 12)^\circ \) and its bisector creates two angles each measuring \( (2x + 9)^\circ \). Find the angle, and check the answer three ways.
    Show the full solution

    The two halves must sum to the whole, by the angle addition postulate: \( (2x + 9) + (2x + 9) = 7x - 12 \), so \( 4x + 18 = 7x - 12 \), giving \( 30 = 3x \) and \( x = 10 \). The whole angle measures \( 7(10) - 12 = 58^\circ \), and each half measures \( 2(10) + 9 = 29^\circ \). Check one, addition: \( 29 + 29 = 58 \). Correct. Check two, halving: \( 58 \div 2 = 29 \), which is what a bisector must produce. Check three, classification: \( 58^\circ \) is acute and each half at \( 29^\circ \) is acute, which is consistent; bisecting an acute angle cannot produce anything but acute angles. \( 58^\circ \), with halves of \( 29^\circ \)

Lesson 1.4 · Unit 1 · G-CO.9

The four relationships every later proof will cite

Four angle pairs appear in nearly every proof in the course. Two of them are defined by measure and two by position, and keeping that distinction straight prevents the most common error in the topic: assuming that angles which sum correctly must also be next to each other.

The method
  1. Complementary angles have measures summing to \( 90^\circ \); supplementary angles sum to \( 180^\circ \). Both are defined by measure alone, with no requirement that the angles touch.
  2. Adjacent angles share a vertex and a side and do not overlap. This is defined by position alone and says nothing about measure.
  3. A linear pair is two adjacent angles whose non-shared sides form a line. It requires both conditions.
  4. Vertical angles are the two non-adjacent angles formed by two intersecting lines, opposite each other at the intersection.
  5. A linear pair is supplementary, which is a theorem, not the definition. The definition is about position; supplementarity is what follows.
  6. Vertical angles are congruent, also a theorem, and it is proved from the linear pair result rather than assumed.
  7. Supplementary does not imply linear pair. Two angles in different parts of a diagram can sum to \( 180^\circ \) without touching.
  8. Set up an equation from the relationship, solve, and check both that the sum is right and that each angle is positive.

Where students lose marks: treating "supplementary" and "linear pair" as interchangeable. Every linear pair is supplementary; most supplementary pairs are not linear pairs. A proof that needs the angles adjacent must cite the linear pair, and one that only needs the sum may cite supplementarity.

Worked example

The problem. Two lines intersect, forming four angles numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4 in order around the point, so that \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 3 \) are vertical, as are \( \angle 2 \) and \( \angle 4 \). (a) Prove that vertical angles are congruent. (b) If \( m\angle 1 = (3x + 10)^\circ \) and \( m\angle 3 = (5x - 20)^\circ \), find every angle in the figure.

Step one: set up the proof in (a) with what is given. Given: two intersecting lines forming \( \angle 1 \), \( \angle 2 \), \( \angle 3 \), \( \angle 4 \) in order. Prove: \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 3 \).

Step two: identify the two linear pairs. Going around the point, \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) are adjacent and their non-shared sides lie on one of the two lines, so they form a linear pair. The same holds for \( \angle 2 \) and \( \angle 3 \).

Step three: apply the linear pair theorem to both. \( m\angle 1 + m\angle 2 = 180 \) and \( m\angle 2 + m\angle 3 = 180 \). Each line is licensed by the linear pair theorem, cited by name.

Step four: combine them. Both left sides equal 180, so they equal each other by the transitive property: \( m\angle 1 + m\angle 2 = m\angle 2 + m\angle 3 \).

Step five: finish the proof. Subtracting \( m\angle 2 \) from both sides, by the subtraction property of equality, gives \( m\angle 1 = m\angle 3 \), and therefore \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 3 \) by the definition of congruent angles. Notice what the proof did not do: it never measured anything and never appealed to the picture looking symmetric. The result came from two applications of one theorem and some algebra.

Step six: use the result in (b). Since \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 3 \) are vertical, they are congruent by the theorem just proved, so their measures are equal: \( 3x + 10 = 5x - 20 \), giving \( 30 = 2x \) and \( x = 15 \).

Step seven: find \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 3 \). \( m\angle 1 = 3(15) + 10 = 55^\circ \), and checking with the other expression, \( m\angle 3 = 5(15) - 20 = 55^\circ \). They agree, confirming \( x \).

Step eight: find the other two and check the whole figure. \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) form a linear pair, so they are supplementary: \( m\angle 2 = 180 - 55 = 125^\circ \). And \( \angle 4 \) is vertical to \( \angle 2 \), so \( m\angle 4 = 125^\circ \) as well. Check: the four angles around the point sum to \( 55 + 125 + 55 + 125 = 360^\circ \), as angles filling a complete turn must. Two are acute and two obtuse, which is what two intersecting non-perpendicular lines always produce.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Find the complement of \( 37^\circ \).
    Show the full solution

    \( 90 - 37 \). \( 53^\circ \)

  2. Find the supplement of \( 112^\circ \).
    Show the full solution

    \( 180 - 112 \). \( 68^\circ \)

  3. Two angles form a linear pair and one measures \( 43^\circ \). Find the other.
    Show the full solution

    A linear pair is supplementary. \( 137^\circ \)

  4. Two vertical angles measure \( (4x)^\circ \) and \( (2x + 30)^\circ \). Find \( x \).
    Show the full solution

    Vertical angles are congruent: \( 4x = 2x + 30 \). \( x = 15 \)

  5. Does an obtuse angle have a complement?
    Show the full solution

    Its complement would have to be negative. No

  6. An angle is \( 20^\circ \) more than its complement. Find both.
    Show the full solution

    Let the smaller angle be \( x \), so the larger is \( x + 20 \). Complementary means they sum to 90: \( x + (x + 20) = 90 \), so \( 2x = 70 \) and \( x = 35 \). The angles are \( 35^\circ \) and \( 55^\circ \). Check: they sum to 90, and 55 is 20 more than 35. Both conditions hold. \( 35^\circ \) and \( 55^\circ \)

  7. An angle is three times its supplement. Find both.
    Show the full solution

    Let the smaller be \( x \), so the larger is \( 3x \). Supplementary means they sum to 180: \( x + 3x = 180 \), so \( 4x = 180 \) and \( x = 45 \). The angles are \( 45^\circ \) and \( 135^\circ \). Check: \( 45 + 135 = 180 \), and \( 135 = 3 \times 45 \). Both conditions hold. \( 45^\circ \) and \( 135^\circ \)

  8. Give an example of two supplementary angles that do not form a linear pair.
    Show the full solution

    Supplementary is defined by measure alone, so the angles need not touch at all. Take an angle of \( 60^\circ \) in one corner of a page and an angle of \( 120^\circ \) in the opposite corner. Their measures sum to \( 180^\circ \), so they are supplementary, and they share no vertex, so they cannot form a linear pair. A more useful example from later in the course: in a parallelogram, two consecutive angles are supplementary but the pair is not a linear pair, since their non-shared sides are two sides of the figure rather than one straight line. The general principle: a linear pair requires adjacency and a straight line, while supplementary requires only that the measures sum to 180. Linear pair is the stronger condition, and a proof that needs adjacency must establish it separately. Any two angles summing to \( 180^\circ \) that do not share a vertex and a side, such as \( 60^\circ \) and \( 120^\circ \) drawn separately

  9. Two lines intersect. One angle measures \( 68^\circ \). Find all four angles.
    Show the full solution

    Call the given angle \( \angle 1 \), with \( \angle 2 \) and \( \angle 4 \) adjacent to it and \( \angle 3 \) opposite. \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) form a linear pair, so they are supplementary: \( m\angle 2 = 180 - 68 = 112^\circ \). \( \angle 3 \) is vertical to \( \angle 1 \), so it is congruent: \( m\angle 3 = 68^\circ \). \( \angle 4 \) is vertical to \( \angle 2 \), so \( m\angle 4 = 112^\circ \). Check: \( 68 + 112 + 68 + 112 = 360^\circ \), a complete turn. \( 68^\circ \), \( 112^\circ \), \( 68^\circ \), \( 112^\circ \)

  10. Two angles are both supplementary and congruent. Find their measures, and prove the result in general.
    Show the full solution

    Let the measures be \( a \) and \( b \). Supplementary gives \( a + b = 180 \). Congruent gives \( a = b \) by the definition of congruent angles. Substituting: \( a + a = 180 \), so \( 2a = 180 \) and \( a = 90 \). Then \( b = 90 \) as well. So both angles are right angles. This is a small theorem worth remembering: if two angles are both congruent and supplementary, each is a right angle. It is the reason that two intersecting lines forming one right angle form four of them, which lesson 1.5 uses to define perpendicularity from a single right angle. The proof used both given facts and nothing from a diagram, which is what makes it general rather than a statement about one picture. Each measures \( 90^\circ \); two congruent supplementary angles are always right angles

Lesson 1.5 · Unit 1 · G-CO.1

Writing a definition in the form a reason column can use

A definition in geometry is not a description; it is a tool. Every definition works in both directions, and a proof uses it one way to conclude something and the other way to establish a condition. Learning to state a definition in that usable form is most of what makes early proofs go smoothly.

The method
  1. Two lines are perpendicular when they intersect to form a right angle, written \( \overleftrightarrow{AB} \perp \overleftrightarrow{CD} \).
  2. One right angle is enough. By the theorem at the end of lesson 1.4, if one of the four angles is right then all four are, so a proof need only establish one.
  3. A segment bisector is any line, ray or segment through the midpoint, so it divides the segment into two congruent segments.
  4. A perpendicular bisector does both: it passes through the midpoint and is perpendicular to the segment. Both conditions must be established to claim it.
  5. An angle bisector is a ray through the interior dividing an angle into two congruent angles.
  6. Every definition is a biconditional, so it works in both directions. If a ray bisects an angle then the parts are congruent, and if the parts are congruent then the ray bisects.
  7. A theorem usually works in only one direction, which is the difference that makes definitions so useful in proofs and makes lesson 2.2 necessary.
  8. Cite the definition by name in the reason column, as "definition of angle bisector" rather than "because it splits it evenly."

Where students lose marks: claiming a perpendicular bisector from one condition. A line through the midpoint is a bisector; a line perpendicular to the segment is a perpendicular line. Only a line that is both is the perpendicular bisector, and a proof must establish both.

Worked example

The problem. \( A \) is \( (2, 3) \) and \( B \) is \( (8, 11) \). (a) Find the equation of the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AB} \). (b) Verify that the point \( (9, 4) \) lies on it, and check that this point is equidistant from \( A \) and \( B \). (c) State the definition of perpendicular bisector in the two directions a proof uses.

Step one: identify what the definition requires. A perpendicular bisector must pass through the midpoint and be perpendicular to the segment. So two things are needed: a point and a slope.

Step two: find the midpoint. \( M = \left( \dfrac{2 + 8}{2}, \dfrac{3 + 11}{2} \right) = (5, 7) \). Both coordinates lie between those of \( A \) and \( B \), as a midpoint's must.

Step three: find the slope of \( \overline{AB} \). \( m = \dfrac{11 - 3}{8 - 2} = \dfrac{8}{6} = \dfrac{4}{3} \).

Step four: find the perpendicular slope. Perpendicular slopes are negative reciprocals, so the bisector has slope \( -\dfrac{3}{4} \). Check: \( \dfrac{4}{3} \times \left(-\dfrac{3}{4}\right) = -1 \), as perpendicular slopes must multiply to.

Step five: write the equation and confirm both conditions. Using point-slope form with the midpoint: \[ y - 7 = -\frac{3}{4}(x - 5) \] It passes through \( (5,7) \), the midpoint, satisfying the bisector condition, and its slope is the negative reciprocal of the segment's, satisfying the perpendicular condition. Both halves of the definition are met, which is what licenses the name.

Step six: verify \( (9, 4) \) lies on the line. Substituting: \( 4 - 7 = -3 \) on the left, and \( -\dfrac{3}{4}(9 - 5) = -\dfrac{3}{4}(4) = -3 \) on the right. They agree, so the point is on the perpendicular bisector.

Step seven: check the distances. From \( (9,4) \) to \( A(2,3) \): differences 7 and 1, so \( \sqrt{49 + 1} = \sqrt{50} \). From \( (9,4) \) to \( B(8,11) \): differences 1 and 7, so \( \sqrt{1 + 49} = \sqrt{50} \). Equal, so the point is equidistant from \( A \) and \( B \). This is not a coincidence; it is the perpendicular bisector theorem, proved in lesson 6.1.

Step eight: state the definition both ways. Forward: if \( \ell \) is the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AB} \), then \( \ell \) passes through the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \ell \perp \overline{AB} \). This is the direction used to extract facts from a given. Backward: if a line passes through the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \) and is perpendicular to \( \overline{AB} \), then it is the perpendicular bisector. This is the direction used to conclude that a line deserves the name. Both directions are valid because this is a definition. A theorem would need its converse proved separately before it could be used backward, which is exactly the trap lesson 3.3 covers.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does \( \perp \) mean?
    Show the full solution

    Perpendicular: the lines meet at a right angle

  2. Two perpendicular lines meet. How many right angles are formed?
    Show the full solution

    Four

  3. A line passes through the midpoint of a segment. Is it the perpendicular bisector?
    Show the full solution

    Only one condition is met. Not necessarily; it must also be perpendicular

  4. Find the slope perpendicular to a line of slope \( \frac{2}{5} \).
    Show the full solution

    \( -\frac{5}{2} \)

  5. What reason justifies writing \( \angle ABD \cong \angle DBC \) when \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) bisects \( \angle ABC \)?
    Show the full solution

    The definition of an angle bisector

  6. Find the perpendicular bisector of the segment from \( (1, 2) \) to \( (7, 6) \).
    Show the full solution

    Midpoint: \( \left( \dfrac{1+7}{2}, \dfrac{2+6}{2} \right) = (4, 4) \). Slope of the segment: \( \dfrac{6-2}{7-1} = \dfrac{4}{6} = \dfrac{2}{3} \). Perpendicular slope: \( -\dfrac{3}{2} \). Equation: \( y - 4 = -\dfrac{3}{2}(x - 4) \). Check that it passes through the midpoint: at \( x = 4 \) the right side is 0, so \( y = 4 \). Correct. \( y - 4 = -\frac{3}{2}(x - 4) \)

  7. Verify that \( (7, 4) \) is equidistant from \( (1, 2) \) and \( (7, 6) \), and say what that suggests.
    Show the full solution

    To \( (1,2) \): differences 6 and 2, so \( \sqrt{36 + 4} = \sqrt{40} \). To \( (7,6) \): differences 0 and 2, so \( \sqrt{0 + 4} = 2 \). These are not equal, since \( \sqrt{40} \approx 6.3 \). So \( (7,4) \) is not equidistant. Checking against the previous problem's answer: substituting \( x = 7 \) into \( y - 4 = -\frac{3}{2}(x - 4) \) gives \( y - 4 = -4.5 \), so \( y = -0.5 \), not 4. The point is not on the perpendicular bisector, which is consistent with the distances being unequal. The two facts always agree, which is the content of the perpendicular bisector theorem: a point is equidistant from the endpoints exactly when it lies on the perpendicular bisector. It is not equidistant, and correspondingly it does not lie on the perpendicular bisector

  8. Explain why a definition can be used in both directions in a proof but a theorem usually cannot.
    Show the full solution

    A definition states what a word means, so it is a biconditional: the term applies exactly when the condition holds. "A midpoint is a point that divides a segment into two congruent segments" means both that every midpoint does this and that anything doing this is a midpoint. A proof may therefore use it either way, citing "definition of midpoint" in each case. A theorem is a one-directional claim: if this, then that. Proving it establishes only that direction. "If two angles form a linear pair, then they are supplementary" does not by itself license concluding a linear pair from supplementarity, and in that case the converse is genuinely false, since supplementary angles need not be adjacent. A converse has to be proved separately, and some converses are true while others are not. Treating a theorem as reversible is one of the four errors this course names, and unit 3 is largely about keeping each theorem apart from its converse. A definition is a biconditional; a theorem states one direction, and its converse needs its own proof

  9. \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) bisects \( \angle ABC \). \( m\angle ABD = (4x - 7)^\circ \) and \( m\angle DBC = (2x + 9)^\circ \). Is \( \angle ABC \) acute, right or obtuse?
    Show the full solution

    By the definition of an angle bisector the two parts are congruent, so their measures are equal: \( 4x - 7 = 2x + 9 \), giving \( 2x = 16 \) and \( x = 8 \). Each part measures \( 4(8) - 7 = 25^\circ \), confirmed by the other expression: \( 2(8) + 9 = 25^\circ \). By the angle addition postulate, \( m\angle ABC = 25 + 25 = 50^\circ \). Since \( 50 \lt 90 \), the angle is acute. Acute, measuring \( 50^\circ \)

  10. A line \( \ell \) is perpendicular to \( \overline{AB} \) and intersects it at a point \( P \) with \( AP = 5 \) and \( PB = 5 \). Prove \( \ell \) is the perpendicular bisector, naming every reason.
    Show the full solution

    Given: \( \ell \perp \overline{AB} \), \( \ell \) meets \( \overline{AB} \) at \( P \), \( AP = 5 \), \( PB = 5 \). Prove: \( \ell \) is the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AB} \). 1. \( AP = 5 \) and \( PB = 5 \). Reason: given. 2. \( AP = PB \). Reason: transitive property of equality, since both equal 5. 3. \( \overline{AP} \cong \overline{PB} \). Reason: definition of congruent segments. 4. \( P \) lies on \( \overline{AB} \) between \( A \) and \( B \). Reason: given, since \( \ell \) intersects the segment at \( P \). 5. \( P \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \). Reason: definition of midpoint, using steps 3 and 4. 6. \( \ell \) passes through the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \). Reason: step 5 and the given that \( \ell \) meets the segment at \( P \). 7. \( \ell \perp \overline{AB} \). Reason: given. 8. \( \ell \) is the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AB} \). Reason: definition of perpendicular bisector, using steps 6 and 7. Both halves of the definition were established separately and then combined, which is exactly what the definition demands. Step 4 is the one students omit: without betweenness, a point equidistant from \( A \) and \( B \) need not be on the segment at all. Proved, with both conditions of the definition established

Lesson 1.6 · Unit 1 · G-CO.12, G-CO.13

Drawings that are guaranteed rather than approximate

A construction uses only a compass and an unmarked straightedge, and the restriction is the point. Anything a construction produces is exactly right, not close, and it can be proved so. Each construction in this lesson is followed by the argument for why it works, because a construction without that argument is just a picture.

The method
  1. A construction uses a compass and an unmarked straightedge only. No ruler measurements, no protractor, no eyeballing.
  2. The compass does two things: it draws a circle of a chosen radius, and it transfers a length from one place to another without measuring it.
  3. The straightedge does one thing: it draws the line through two points already constructed.
  4. Every construction works because the compass guarantees equal radii, which is the fact every proof of a construction ultimately uses.
  5. Copying a segment: draw a ray, set the compass to the original length, and mark that distance from the endpoint.
  6. Bisecting a segment: from each endpoint draw arcs of the same radius, more than half the segment's length, on both sides; the line through the two crossing points is the perpendicular bisector.
  7. Bisecting an angle: arc from the vertex to cut both sides, then equal arcs from those two points; the ray from the vertex through the crossing point is the bisector.
  8. Describe each step by saying where the compass point goes and what width it is set to, since that is what makes the instruction followable.

Where students lose marks: changing the compass width between steps that require it to stay fixed. In the segment bisection, both arcs must use the same radius; if they differ, the crossing points are not equidistant from both endpoints and the line through them is not the perpendicular bisector.

Worked example

The problem. Construct the perpendicular bisector of a given segment \( \overline{AB} \), then prove that the construction works.

Step one: set the compass. Open the compass to a width greater than half of \( AB \). The exact width does not matter, but it must exceed half the length, or the arcs will not reach each other and will not cross.

Step two: draw the first pair of arcs. Place the compass point on \( A \) and draw an arc above the segment and another below it, keeping the same width.

Step three: draw the second pair without changing the width. Move the compass point to \( B \), leaving the opening exactly as it was, and draw arcs above and below that cross the first pair. Call the crossing points \( P \) above and \( Q \) below.

Step four: draw the line. Lay the straightedge through \( P \) and \( Q \) and draw \( \overleftrightarrow{PQ} \). The claim is that this is the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AB} \).

Step five: begin the proof by recording what the compass guarantees. The compass width was never changed, so all four arcs have the same radius. Since \( P \) is on an arc centered at \( A \) and also on an arc centered at \( B \), both of that radius, \( PA = PB \). The same argument gives \( QA = QB \).

Step six: identify the triangles. Draw \( \overline{PA} \), \( \overline{PB} \), \( \overline{QA} \) and \( \overline{QB} \). Then \( \triangle PAQ \) and \( \triangle PBQ \) share the side \( \overline{PQ} \), and by step five \( PA = PB \) and \( QA = QB \).

Step seven: conclude congruence and then the bisection. The two triangles have three pairs of congruent sides, so they are congruent by SSS, which lesson 5.2 proves. Therefore \( \angle APQ \cong \angle BPQ \) by corresponding parts. Now \( \triangle APM \) and \( \triangle BPM \), where \( M \) is where \( \overline{PQ} \) meets \( \overline{AB} \), have \( PA = PB \), the congruent angles just found, and the shared side \( \overline{PM} \). They are congruent by SAS, so \( AM = BM \) and \( M \) is the midpoint.

Step eight: finish with perpendicularity. From the same congruence, \( \angle AMP \cong \angle BMP \). These two angles form a linear pair, so they are supplementary. Two angles that are both congruent and supplementary are right angles, by the small theorem proved at the end of lesson 1.4. So \( \overleftrightarrow{PQ} \perp \overline{AB} \). Both conditions of the definition now hold, so the constructed line is the perpendicular bisector. Every step of the argument traced back to one fact: the compass width never changed, so certain distances are equal. That is why the restriction to compass and straightedge is not an arbitrary game.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What two tools are allowed in a construction?
    Show the full solution

    A compass and an unmarked straightedge

  2. Why is the straightedge unmarked?
    Show the full solution

    So it cannot be used to measure, only to draw a line through two points

  3. In bisecting a segment, must the compass width exceed half the length?
    Show the full solution

    Otherwise the arcs never meet. Yes

  4. What does a compass guarantee that a ruler does not?
    Show the full solution

    That two distances are exactly equal, without measuring either

  5. Describe the first step in bisecting an angle.
    Show the full solution

    Place the compass point on the vertex and draw an arc crossing both sides

  6. Describe the full construction for copying an angle.
    Show the full solution

    Given \( \angle A \) and a ray with endpoint \( D \). Place the compass point on \( A \) and draw an arc crossing both sides of the angle at points \( B \) and \( C \). Without changing the width, place the compass point on \( D \) and draw a large arc crossing the new ray at a point \( E \). Set the compass to the width \( BC \), the distance between the two crossing points of the first arc. Place the compass point on \( E \) and draw an arc crossing the large arc at a point \( F \). Draw \( \overrightarrow{DF} \). Then \( \angle FDE \cong \angle A \). It works because \( \triangle ABC \) and \( \triangle DEF \) have three pairs of congruent sides by construction, so they are congruent by SSS, and corresponding angles of congruent triangles are congruent. Arc across both sides, copy that arc at the new vertex, transfer the chord width, draw the ray

  7. Describe how to construct a perpendicular to a line through a point on that line.
    Show the full solution

    Let the point be \( P \) on line \( \ell \). Place the compass point on \( P \) and draw arcs crossing \( \ell \) on both sides, at points \( A \) and \( B \). By construction \( PA = PB \), so \( P \) is now the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \). Now construct the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AB} \): widen the compass, draw arcs from \( A \) and from \( B \) that cross above the line, and draw the line from that crossing point through \( P \). That line is perpendicular to \( \ell \) and passes through \( P \), as required. The construction reduces to the one already proved, which is the usual pattern: later constructions are built from earlier ones rather than from scratch. Mark equal distances either side of \( P \), then bisect that segment

  8. Explain why a construction is closer to a proof than to a drawing.
    Show the full solution

    A drawing is as accurate as the hand that made it and the instrument that measured it. Measuring an angle with a protractor and drawing its bisector produces something approximately right, limited by the protractor's precision and by eyesight. A construction makes no measurements at all. It produces equalities by the compass, which guarantees that two distances are the same because the opening never changed, and then it derives the result from those equalities. The output is exactly correct as a matter of logic, not approximately correct as a matter of care. That is why every construction in this course is followed by its proof. The construction is the claim and the proof is the justification, exactly as elsewhere in geometry. A student who can perform the steps but cannot say why they work has learned the drawing and not the mathematics. It produces an exact result guaranteed by an argument, rather than an approximate one limited by measurement

  9. A student bisects a segment but changes the compass width between the arcs from \( A \) and the arcs from \( B \). What goes wrong?
    Show the full solution

    The whole proof rests on the crossing points being equidistant from \( A \) and from \( B \). If the width changes, the crossing point \( P \) satisfies \( PA = r_1 \) and \( PB = r_2 \) with \( r_1 \neq r_2 \), so \( PA \neq PB \). Without that equality, \( \triangle PAQ \) and \( \triangle PBQ \) are not congruent, nothing follows about the angles, and the line through the crossing points is neither perpendicular to \( \overline{AB} \) nor through its midpoint. Geometrically the line will still cross the segment, but at the wrong place and the wrong angle, and it will look close enough to pass a glance. That is what makes the error dangerous: the failure is invisible in the drawing and only the argument reveals it. The crossing points are no longer equidistant from both endpoints, so the line is neither perpendicular nor a bisector

  10. Describe how to construct an equilateral triangle on a given segment, and prove it is equilateral.
    Show the full solution

    Given \( \overline{AB} \). Set the compass to the width \( AB \). Place the point on \( A \) and draw an arc above the segment. Without changing the width, place the point on \( B \) and draw a second arc crossing the first at a point \( C \). Draw \( \overline{AC} \) and \( \overline{BC} \). Proof. The compass was set to \( AB \) and never changed. \( C \) lies on the arc centered at \( A \) with radius \( AB \), so \( AC = AB \). \( C \) also lies on the arc centered at \( B \) with the same radius, so \( BC = AB \). By the transitive property, \( AC = BC \), and all three sides have length \( AB \). A triangle with three congruent sides is equilateral by definition, so \( \triangle ABC \) is equilateral. This is the first proposition in Euclid's Elements, and it is a good example of how little machinery a construction proof needs: one fixed compass width and the transitive property. Two arcs of radius \( AB \) centered at \( A \) and \( B \); all three sides equal \( AB \) because the compass never changed

Lesson 1.7 · Unit 1 · G-CO.1

The names the rest of the course assumes you already have

This lesson is vocabulary, and it earns its place because almost every later theorem is stated in these terms. A student who is unsure whether a figure counts as a polygon, or what regular means, will misread the hypothesis of a theorem and apply it where it does not hold.

The method
  1. A polygon is a closed plane figure made of segments that meet only at their endpoints, with exactly two meeting at each endpoint.
  2. Each condition excludes something. Closed excludes an open path, segments excludes curves, and meeting only at endpoints excludes a figure whose sides cross.
  3. Name by the number of sides: triangle, quadrilateral, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, nonagon, decagon, and \( n \)-gon in general.
  4. A polygon is convex when no diagonal falls outside it, equivalently when every interior angle measures less than \( 180^\circ \).
  5. It is concave when at least one interior angle exceeds \( 180^\circ \), which makes the figure appear dented.
  6. A regular polygon is both equilateral and equiangular. Either alone is not enough: a rhombus is equilateral but usually not regular, and a rectangle is equiangular but usually not.
  7. A diagonal joins two nonconsecutive vertices, and an \( n \)-gon has \( \dfrac{n(n-3)}{2} \) of them.
  8. Assume convex unless told otherwise, since most theorems in the course are stated for convex polygons.

Where students lose marks: calling a figure regular because its sides are equal. Regular requires equal angles too. The distinction matters from unit 7 onward, where a theorem about regular polygons will not apply to a rhombus.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Decide whether each is a polygon, and if so name it and say whether it is convex: a five-sided closed figure with all interior angles under \( 180^\circ \); a figure made of four segments where two of them cross; a closed figure made of three segments and one arc. (b) How many diagonals does an octagon have? (c) Is a rhombus regular? Is a square?

Step one: test the first figure against the definition. It is closed, made of segments, and the segments meet only at endpoints. So it is a polygon, and with five sides it is a pentagon. Every interior angle is under \( 180^\circ \), so it is convex.

Step two: test the second. It is made of segments and is closed, but two segments cross at a point that is not an endpoint of either. The definition requires the sides to meet only at their endpoints, so this is not a polygon at all. A figure like this is sometimes drawn as a "crossed quadrilateral," and no theorem in this course applies to it.

Step three: test the third. It is closed, but one of its four parts is an arc rather than a segment. A polygon is made of segments, so this fails and is not a polygon.

Step four: set up (b) by counting from one vertex. From any one vertex of an octagon, a diagonal can be drawn to every other vertex except itself and its two neighbors, since a segment to a neighbor is a side rather than a diagonal. That is \( 8 - 3 = 5 \) diagonals from each vertex.

Step five: account for double counting. Multiplying gives \( 8 \times 5 = 40 \), but each diagonal has been counted twice, once from each of its two endpoints. So the number is \( 40 \div 2 = 20 \).

Step six: check against the formula. \( \dfrac{n(n-3)}{2} = \dfrac{8(5)}{2} = 20 \). It agrees, which it must, since the formula is exactly the argument just made written in general. A second check on a smaller case: a quadrilateral should have \( \dfrac{4(1)}{2} = 2 \) diagonals, which matches the two that can be drawn in any four-sided figure.

Step seven: answer (c) for the rhombus. A rhombus has four congruent sides, so it is equilateral. Its angles, however, need not be equal: a typical rhombus has two acute and two obtuse angles. Regular requires both conditions, so a general rhombus is not regular.

Step eight: answer (c) for the square, and note the relationship. A square has four congruent sides and four right angles, so it is both equilateral and equiangular and therefore regular. In fact the square is the only regular quadrilateral. The relationship worth carrying forward: a square is a rhombus that happens to be equiangular, and also a rectangle that happens to be equilateral. That kind of hierarchy is what unit 7 formalizes, and the discipline it requires is naming a figure by what has been proved about it rather than by what it looks like.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Name a polygon with seven sides.
    Show the full solution

    Heptagon

  2. What makes a polygon regular?
    Show the full solution

    All sides congruent and all angles congruent

  3. Is a circle a polygon?
    Show the full solution

    It is not made of segments. No

  4. How many diagonals does a pentagon have?
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{5(2)}{2} = 5 \). 5

  5. What does concave mean?
    Show the full solution

    At least one interior angle exceeds \( 180^\circ \)

  6. How many diagonals does a decagon have?
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{n(n-3)}{2} \) with \( n = 10 \): \( \dfrac{10(7)}{2} = 35 \). Checking the reasoning directly: from each of the 10 vertices, diagonals go to \( 10 - 3 = 7 \) others, giving 70 endpoints, and each diagonal has two endpoints, so \( 70 \div 2 = 35 \). 35

  7. A polygon has 27 diagonals. How many sides does it have?
    Show the full solution

    Set the formula equal to 27: \( \dfrac{n(n-3)}{2} = 27 \), so \( n(n - 3) = 54 \) and \( n^2 - 3n - 54 = 0 \). Factoring: two numbers multiplying to \( -54 \) and adding to \( -3 \) are \( -9 \) and 6, so \( (n - 9)(n + 6) = 0 \), giving \( n = 9 \) or \( n = -6 \). A polygon cannot have a negative number of sides, so \( n = 9 \). Check: \( \dfrac{9(6)}{2} = 27 \). Correct. The figure is a nonagon. 9 sides

  8. Is an equilateral polygon necessarily regular? Is an equiangular one?
    Show the full solution

    Neither implication holds for polygons in general, and a counterexample settles each. Equilateral but not regular: a rhombus that is not a square. All four sides are congruent, but the angles come in two different sizes, so it is not equiangular. Equiangular but not regular: a rectangle that is not a square. All four angles are right angles, but the sides come in two different lengths. So both conditions are genuinely needed in the definition of regular. The triangle is the exception worth knowing: an equilateral triangle is necessarily equiangular and the reverse also holds, which lesson 5.7 proves. Triangles are rigid in a way other polygons are not, and that rigidity is why the triangle congruence criteria of unit 5 exist at all. No to both; a rhombus and a rectangle are the counterexamples, though triangles are a special case where each does imply the other

  9. Explain why the definition of a polygon requires the sides to meet only at their endpoints.
    Show the full solution

    Without that condition, a figure whose sides cross in the middle would count as a polygon, and almost every theorem in the course would become false. Consider a four-segment closed path where two sides cross, sometimes drawn as a bowtie. Its interior is not well defined, so "interior angle" has no clear meaning and the angle sum formula of lesson 7.1 does not apply. Its area cannot be computed by the usual methods because the two loops would count with opposite orientation. The condition is doing real work: it guarantees that the figure separates the plane into a well-defined inside and outside, which is what makes interior angles, area, and the whole apparatus of unit 7 and unit 11 meaningful. This is a general feature of geometric definitions. Each clause excludes a specific pathological case, and reading a definition carefully means asking what each clause is there to rule out. It guarantees a well-defined interior, without which interior angles and area would be meaningless

  10. A regular polygon has a diagonal count equal to twice its number of sides. Find the polygon.
    Show the full solution

    Let \( n \) be the number of sides. The condition is \( \dfrac{n(n-3)}{2} = 2n \). Multiply both sides by 2: \( n(n - 3) = 4n \), so \( n^2 - 3n = 4n \) and \( n^2 - 7n = 0 \). Factor: \( n(n - 7) = 0 \), giving \( n = 0 \) or \( n = 7 \). A polygon must have at least three sides, so \( n = 0 \) is rejected on those grounds and \( n = 7 \). Check: a heptagon has \( \dfrac{7(4)}{2} = 14 \) diagonals, and twice its number of sides is \( 2(7) = 14 \). They match. Note that the factoring had to avoid dividing both sides by \( n \), which would have discarded the root \( n = 0 \). It happens to be a root that gets rejected anyway, but relying on that is luck rather than method. A heptagon, with 7 sides and 14 diagonals

Unit 1 mixed review · 10 problems · all topics

Unit 1: Foundations of Geometry

These are shuffled across the whole unit and do not tell you which definition or postulate they want, which is what makes them closer to a real test than a single lesson's practice set.

  1. Name the figure consisting of two points and all the points between them.
    Show the full solution

    A segment has two endpoints. A ray has one endpoint and continues without end in one direction, and a line has no endpoints at all. A segment

  2. Point \( B \) lies between \( A \) and \( C \), with \( AB = 3x + 2 \), \( BC = 2x - 1 \) and \( AC = 26 \). Find \( x \) and both shorter lengths.
    Show the full solution

    By the segment addition postulate, \( AB + BC = AC \): \( (3x + 2) + (2x - 1) = 26 \), so \( 5x + 1 = 26 \) and \( x = 5 \). \( AB = 17 \) and \( BC = 9 \). Check: \( 17 + 9 = 26 \). Correct. \( x = 5 \), \( AB = 17 \), \( BC = 9 \)

  3. Find the midpoint of the segment joining \( (-3, 7) \) and \( (5, -1) \).
    Show the full solution

    Average each coordinate: \( \left( \dfrac{-3 + 5}{2}, \dfrac{7 + (-1)}{2} \right) = (1, 3) \). \( (1, 3) \)

  4. Find the distance between \( (2, -1) \) and \( (7, 11) \).
    Show the full solution

    \( \sqrt{(7 - 2)^2 + (11 + 1)^2} = \sqrt{25 + 144} = \sqrt{169} = 13 \). The 5-12-13 triple. 13

  5. Find the complement and the supplement of a \( 37^\circ \) angle.
    Show the full solution

    Complement: \( 90 - 37 = 53^\circ \). Supplement: \( 180 - 37 = 143^\circ \). \( 53^\circ \) and \( 143^\circ \)

  6. Two angles forming a linear pair measure \( 3x + 15 \) and \( 5x + 5 \). Find both.
    Show the full solution

    A linear pair is supplementary: \( (3x + 15) + (5x + 5) = 180 \), so \( 8x + 20 = 180 \), giving \( 8x = 160 \) and \( x = 20 \). The angles are \( 3(20) + 15 = 75^\circ \) and \( 5(20) + 5 = 105^\circ \). Check: \( 75 + 105 = 180 \). Correct. \( 75^\circ \) and \( 105^\circ \)

  7. Two vertical angles measure \( 5x - 8 \) and \( 3x + 22 \). Find their common measure.
    Show the full solution

    Vertical angles are congruent: \( 5x - 8 = 3x + 22 \), so \( 2x = 30 \) and \( x = 15 \). Each measures \( 5(15) - 8 = 67^\circ \). Check the other expression: \( 3(15) + 22 = 67 \). Correct. \( 67^\circ \)

  8. Describe the construction of the perpendicular bisector of a segment and say why it works.
    Show the full solution

    Set the compass wider than half the segment. With the point at each endpoint in turn, draw arcs above and below. Draw the line through the two arc intersections. Why it works: each intersection point is the same distance from both endpoints, since the same radius was used from each. By the perpendicular bisector theorem's converse, any point equidistant from the endpoints lies on the perpendicular bisector, so two such points determine it. Equal-radius arcs from each endpoint produce two points equidistant from both, and two points determine the perpendicular bisector

  9. Explain why geometry begins with undefined terms.
    Show the full solution

    Every definition explains one word using other words. If every term had to be defined, the chain would either run forever or circle back on itself, and a circular definition explains nothing. The way out is to leave a few terms undefined at the start, describing them informally but never claiming to define them. Point, line and plane are those terms. What replaces their definitions is the postulates, which state how they behave: two points determine a line, three noncollinear points determine a plane, and so on. Everything proved in the course traces back to those statements rather than to a definition of what a point is. To avoid infinite regress or circularity; the postulates state how the undefined terms behave instead

  10. Points \( A(-4, 2) \) and \( B(8, 10) \) are given. Find the midpoint \( M \), then verify by computing \( AM \), \( MB \) and \( AB \).
    Show the full solution

    The midpoint. \( M = \left( \dfrac{-4 + 8}{2}, \dfrac{2 + 10}{2} \right) = (2, 6) \). The full length. \( AB = \sqrt{(8 + 4)^2 + (10 - 2)^2} = \sqrt{144 + 64} = \sqrt{208} = 4\sqrt{13} \approx 14.42 \). The two halves. \( AM = \sqrt{(2 + 4)^2 + (6 - 2)^2} = \sqrt{36 + 16} = \sqrt{52} = 2\sqrt{13} \approx 7.21 \). \( MB = \sqrt{(8 - 2)^2 + (10 - 6)^2} = \sqrt{36 + 16} = 2\sqrt{13} \). Verify. \( AM = MB \), so \( M \) is equidistant from both endpoints. And \( AM + MB = 4\sqrt{13} = AB \), so \( M \) lies on the segment rather than merely being equidistant. Why both checks are needed. Equidistance alone places \( M \) anywhere on the perpendicular bisector. Adding the requirement that the two pieces sum to the whole forces \( M \) onto the segment itself, which is what midpoint means. \( M = (2, 6) \), with \( AM = MB = 2\sqrt{13} \) and \( AB = 4\sqrt{13} \)

Lesson 2.1 · Unit 2 · G-CO.9

Noticing a pattern is not the same as knowing it holds

Mathematics usually begins with a guess. You look at examples, see a pattern, and propose that it always holds. That is inductive reasoning, and it is how conjectures are born. What it can never do is prove one, and understanding exactly why is the point of this lesson.

The method
  1. Inductive reasoning moves from specific cases to a general claim. Look at examples, notice what they have in common, propose that it always happens.
  2. The general claim is called a conjecture. It is a proposal, not a result, and it stays a conjecture until proved.
  3. No number of confirming cases proves a conjecture. A hundred examples that work leave open the possibility that the hundred and first does not.
  4. One counterexample disproves it completely. A single case where the hypothesis holds and the conclusion fails settles the matter permanently.
  5. To find a counterexample, look at the edges: zero, one, negatives, fractions, the smallest case, the degenerate case.
  6. A counterexample must satisfy the hypothesis. Producing a case where the "if" part fails proves nothing.
  7. State a conjecture precisely enough to be tested, since a vague claim can neither be proved nor disproved.
  8. A conjecture that survives testing is still unproved, which is why the rest of this unit exists.

Where students lose marks: answering "prove this conjecture" with three examples that work. Examples support a conjecture and never establish it. The only role examples play in a proof is as counterexamples, where one is enough.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Make a conjecture from the pattern 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 and predict the next two terms. (b) Test the conjecture "the sum of any two odd numbers is even." (c) Find a counterexample to "for every number \( n \), \( n^2 \gt n \)." (d) Find a counterexample to "all prime numbers are odd."

Step one: look for the structure in (a), not just the differences. The differences are 3, 5, 7, 9, which are the consecutive odd numbers. That is a pattern, but a more useful observation is that the terms themselves are \( 1^2, 2^2, 3^2, 4^2, 5^2 \).

Step two: state the conjecture and predict. Conjecture: the \( n \)th term is \( n^2 \). The next two terms are \( 6^2 = 36 \) and \( 7^2 = 49 \). Checking with the difference pattern: \( 25 + 11 = 36 \) and \( 36 + 13 = 49 \). The two routes agree, which is reassuring but is still not a proof. It confirms the pattern continues consistently, not that it must.

Step three: test the conjecture in (b) with examples. \( 3 + 5 = 8 \), even. \( 7 + 11 = 18 \), even. \( 1 + 99 = 100 \), even. \( -3 + 7 = 4 \), even. Every case works.

Step four: recognize that step three proved nothing, and prove it properly. Four cases out of infinitely many is not an argument. But this conjecture can be proved directly. Any odd number can be written \( 2k + 1 \) for some integer \( k \). Take two odd numbers \( 2a + 1 \) and \( 2b + 1 \). Their sum is \( 2a + 1 + 2b + 1 = 2a + 2b + 2 = 2(a + b + 1) \), which is two times an integer and therefore even. The conjecture is now a theorem, and the examples were only useful for suggesting it.

Step five: hunt for a counterexample in (c) by trying the edges. The claim is that squaring always makes a number larger. Large numbers obviously work: \( 5^2 = 25 \gt 5 \). So try small ones. At \( n = 1 \): \( 1^2 = 1 \), and \( 1 \gt 1 \) is false. That is a counterexample already.

Step six: find a second counterexample to see the shape of the failure. At \( n = 0.5 \): \( 0.5^2 = 0.25 \), and \( 0.25 \gt 0.5 \) is false. At \( n = 0 \): \( 0 \gt 0 \) is false. The claim fails for every \( n \) between 0 and 1 inclusive, and at \( n = 1 \). Someone who tested only whole numbers greater than 1 would have found a hundred confirming cases and a false conjecture.

Step seven: answer (d). The number 2 is prime, since its only positive divisors are 1 and itself, and it is even. So 2 is a counterexample and the claim is false. It is the only one, which is why the claim feels true: every prime except 2 is odd. But "every prime except one of them" is not what the statement said.

Step eight: note the asymmetry that makes this lesson matter. Disproving a general claim needs one case. Proving one needs an argument covering every case at once, which no list of examples can do. That asymmetry is the reason the remaining six lessons of this unit are about constructing arguments rather than collecting evidence.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is inductive reasoning?
    Show the full solution

    Forming a general conjecture from specific cases

  2. How many counterexamples are needed to disprove a conjecture?
    Show the full solution

    One

  3. Predict the next term: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30.
    Show the full solution

    Differences are 4, 6, 8, 10, so the next difference is 12. 42

  4. Find a counterexample to "all quadrilaterals have four congruent sides."
    Show the full solution

    Any rectangle that is not a square

  5. Does checking ten cases prove a conjecture?
    Show the full solution

    No; it only supports it

  6. Find a counterexample to "if a number is divisible by 3, then it is odd."
    Show the full solution

    A counterexample must satisfy the hypothesis and fail the conclusion, so it must be a multiple of 3 that is even. Take 6: it is divisible by 3, and it is even, not odd. The claim fails. Note that 4 would not work as a counterexample, because it fails the hypothesis: it is not divisible by 3, so the statement says nothing about it. 6, or any even multiple of 3

  7. A student conjectures that \( n^2 + n + 11 \) is prime for every whole number \( n \), having checked \( n = 0 \) through \( n = 9 \). Evaluate the conjecture.
    Show the full solution

    The checks do hold: at \( n = 0 \) it gives 11, at \( n = 1 \) it gives 13, and so on up to \( n = 9 \) giving \( 81 + 9 + 11 = 101 \), all prime. Ten confirming cases is unusually strong evidence. It is still not a proof, and the conjecture is false. At \( n = 11 \): \( 121 + 11 + 11 = 143 \), and \( 143 = 11 \times 13 \), so it is not prime. The failure is not accidental. Whenever \( n \) is a multiple of 11, every term is divisible by 11, so the whole expression is. At \( n = 11 \) that is the first case to occur, which is exactly why ten checks missed it. This is the lesson's point in its sharpest form: a pattern can hold for ten consecutive cases and fail on the eleventh, and no amount of checking distinguishes a true conjecture from one that fails later. False; \( n = 11 \) gives \( 143 = 11 \times 13 \)

  8. Explain why a counterexample must satisfy the hypothesis of the conditional.
    Show the full solution

    A conditional statement claims only that whenever the hypothesis holds, the conclusion follows. It makes no claim at all about cases where the hypothesis fails. Take "if a figure is a square, then it has four right angles." Offering a triangle as a counterexample proves nothing, because the statement never said anything about triangles. The triangle is not a case the claim covers. A genuine counterexample has to be a case the claim does cover, where the promised conclusion nevertheless fails. Here that would require a square without four right angles, which does not exist, and correspondingly the statement is true. The practical rule: to disprove "if p then q", find something that is p and is not q. Anything that is not p is irrelevant. A conditional claims nothing about cases failing its hypothesis, so such a case cannot contradict it

  9. Make a conjecture about the sum of the first \( n \) odd numbers, then prove it geometrically.
    Show the full solution

    Compute the first few sums. \( 1 = 1 \). \( 1 + 3 = 4 \). \( 1 + 3 + 5 = 9 \). \( 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 = 16 \). \( 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 = 25 \). The sums are \( 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 \), which are \( 1^2, 2^2, 3^2, 4^2, 5^2 \). Conjecture: the sum of the first \( n \) odd numbers is \( n^2 \). Geometric proof. Build a square of dots. Start with one dot, a \( 1 \times 1 \) square. To turn an \( n \times n \) square into an \( (n+1) \times (n+1) \) square, add a column of \( n \) dots on the right, a row of \( n \) dots on top, and one corner dot: that is \( 2n + 1 \) dots, which is an odd number, and it is the next odd number each time. So the \( n \times n \) square is built from one dot plus successive odd numbers of dots, and it contains \( n^2 \) dots. That is the conjecture, proved for every \( n \) at once rather than checked for a few. The sum is \( n^2 \), proved by building a square one L-shaped layer at a time

  10. A student says "I found a counterexample, so the conjecture is probably false." Correct them.
    Show the full solution

    "Probably" understates it. A counterexample does not make a conjecture unlikely; it makes it false, definitively and permanently. A general claim says something holds in every case. One case where it does not hold contradicts it outright. There is nothing left to decide and no further evidence that could rescue it. The asymmetry is worth stating plainly, because it runs opposite to how evidence works in most subjects. Confirming cases are weak: any number of them leaves the claim unproved. A disconfirming case is decisive: one of them settles the matter. What may remain is a repaired conjecture. If "\( n^2 \gt n \) for every number" fails at \( n = 1 \) and on the interval from 0 to 1, the salvageable version is "\( n^2 \gt n \) for every \( n \gt 1 \)", which is true and provable. Finding a counterexample often tells you what the correct hypothesis should have been. A counterexample makes the conjecture false, not merely improbable, though it may point to a corrected version

Lesson 2.2 · Unit 2 · G-CO.9

Four statements built from one, and which of them travel together

Almost every theorem in geometry is a conditional, and three related statements can be built from any conditional. One of the three is always true whenever the original is; the other two are not. Confusing a statement with its converse is one of the four errors this course names, and this lesson is where the distinction is made.

The method
  1. A conditional has the form "if \( p \), then \( q \)", where \( p \) is the hypothesis and \( q \) the conclusion.
  2. Rewrite a statement in if-then form before analyzing it, since many theorems hide the structure: "vertical angles are congruent" means "if two angles are vertical, then they are congruent."
  3. The converse swaps them: if \( q \), then \( p \).
  4. The inverse negates both: if not \( p \), then not \( q \).
  5. The contrapositive swaps and negates: if not \( q \), then not \( p \).
  6. A conditional and its contrapositive are logically equivalent. They are true together and false together, always.
  7. The converse and the inverse are equivalent to each other and independent of the original. Either may be true or false regardless.
  8. A biconditional, "\( p \) if and only if \( q \)", asserts both directions, and every definition is one.

Where students lose marks: using a theorem's converse as though the theorem had established it. Proving "if lines are parallel then alternate interior angles are congruent" does not prove the converse. Unit 3 proves each direction separately, and a proof must cite the one it is using.

Worked example

The problem. Take the true statement "vertical angles are congruent." (a) Write it in if-then form and identify the hypothesis and conclusion. (b) Write the converse, inverse and contrapositive. (c) Determine the truth of each. (d) Explain what the pattern of truth values shows.

Step one: rewrite in if-then form. "If two angles are vertical, then they are congruent." Hypothesis \( p \): two angles are vertical. Conclusion \( q \): they are congruent. Doing this first is essential, since the original sentence does not display which part is which.

Step two: write the converse. Swap hypothesis and conclusion: "If two angles are congruent, then they are vertical."

Step three: write the inverse. Negate both, keeping the order: "If two angles are not vertical, then they are not congruent."

Step four: write the contrapositive. Swap and negate: "If two angles are not congruent, then they are not vertical."

Step five: evaluate the original and the contrapositive. The original is the theorem proved in lesson 1.4, so it is true. The contrapositive is also true, and it must be: if two angles were not congruent but were vertical, that would contradict the theorem directly.

Step six: evaluate the converse with a counterexample. The converse claims every pair of congruent angles is vertical. Take the two base angles of an isosceles triangle: they are congruent by the theorem of lesson 5.7, and they are certainly not vertical angles, since they do not sit opposite each other at an intersection of two lines. Simpler still: any two right angles drawn separately on a page are congruent and not vertical. The converse is false.

Step seven: evaluate the inverse. The inverse claims that angles which are not vertical cannot be congruent. The same counterexample applies: two right angles drawn separately are not vertical and are congruent. The inverse is false.

Step eight: state what the pattern shows. The original and contrapositive are both true; the converse and inverse are both false. That pairing is not a coincidence of this example. A statement is always equivalent to its contrapositive, and the converse is always equivalent to the inverse, because the inverse is the contrapositive of the converse. So there are really only two independent claims here, not four. The consequence for proof: establishing a theorem gives you its contrapositive free, and gives you nothing about its converse. If the converse is also needed, it must be proved separately, and sometimes it is false and cannot be.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Identify the hypothesis of "if it rains, then the ground is wet."
    Show the full solution

    It rains

  2. Write the converse of "if \( x = 3 \), then \( x^2 = 9 \)."
    Show the full solution

    If \( x^2 = 9 \), then \( x = 3 \)

  3. Is that converse true?
    Show the full solution

    \( x = -3 \) gives \( x^2 = 9 \). No

  4. Which statement is always equivalent to a conditional?
    Show the full solution

    Its contrapositive

  5. Rewrite "all squares are rectangles" in if-then form.
    Show the full solution

    If a figure is a square, then it is a rectangle

  6. Write all three related statements for "if a figure is a square, then it has four right angles," and evaluate each.
    Show the full solution

    Original: if a figure is a square, then it has four right angles. True, by the definition of a square. Converse: if a figure has four right angles, then it is a square. False; a non-square rectangle has four right angles. Inverse: if a figure is not a square, then it does not have four right angles. False; the same rectangle is the counterexample, as it must be since the inverse is equivalent to the converse. Contrapositive: if a figure does not have four right angles, then it is not a square. True, as it must be since it is equivalent to the original. Original and contrapositive true; converse and inverse false

  7. Write the contrapositive of "if two lines are parallel, then they do not intersect," and say whether it is true.
    Show the full solution

    Swap and negate both parts. The conclusion "they do not intersect" negates to "they do intersect," and the hypothesis "they are parallel" negates to "they are not parallel." Contrapositive: if two lines intersect, then they are not parallel. It is true, and it must be, since the original is true and a statement is always equivalent to its contrapositive. This one is worth noticing because the contrapositive is arguably the more useful form: it is what licenses concluding non-parallelism from an intersection, which comes up throughout unit 3. If two lines intersect, then they are not parallel; true

  8. Explain why a definition can be written as a biconditional but most theorems cannot.
    Show the full solution

    A definition assigns a name to a condition, so the name applies exactly when the condition holds. "A right angle is an angle measuring \( 90^\circ \)" means both that every right angle measures \( 90^\circ \) and that every angle measuring \( 90^\circ \) is a right angle. Both directions are built into what a definition is, so it can be written "an angle is right if and only if it measures \( 90^\circ \)." A theorem asserts one direction, and whether the other direction also holds is a separate question with its own answer. "If two angles are vertical, then they are congruent" is true; its converse is false. Nothing about proving the first tells you anything about the second. The practical consequence in proofs: a definition may be cited in either direction with the same reason, while a theorem may only be cited in the direction that was proved. Its converse, if true, is a different theorem with a different name. A definition asserts both directions by its nature; a theorem asserts one, and its converse requires separate proof

  9. Give a statement whose converse is also true, and one whose converse is false.
    Show the full solution

    Converse true: "If a triangle is equilateral, then it is equiangular." Its converse, "if a triangle is equiangular, then it is equilateral," is also true, proved in lesson 5.7. Because both directions hold, the two conditions can be written as a biconditional: a triangle is equilateral if and only if it is equiangular. Converse false: "If two angles form a linear pair, then they are supplementary." Its converse, "if two angles are supplementary, then they form a linear pair," is false: two angles of \( 60^\circ \) and \( 120^\circ \) drawn in different places sum to \( 180^\circ \) without being adjacent. The pair illustrates the whole point of the lesson. From the outside these look like the same kind of statement, and only proving or disproving each converse separately settles which is which. Equilateral and equiangular triangles: converse true. Linear pair and supplementary: converse false

  10. A proof cites "converse of the alternate interior angles theorem." Explain what that means and why the name matters.
    Show the full solution

    The alternate interior angles theorem, proved in lesson 3.2, says: if two parallel lines are cut by a transversal, then the alternate interior angles are congruent. It takes parallelism as given and produces congruent angles. Its converse, proved separately in lesson 3.3, says: if two lines cut by a transversal form congruent alternate interior angles, then the lines are parallel. It takes congruent angles as given and produces parallelism. A proof citing the converse is therefore doing the opposite job: concluding that lines are parallel rather than using that they are. Naming which direction is being used tells the reader what the line of the proof is doing, and it is the check that prevents circular reasoning, since a proof cannot assume parallelism in order to establish it. This is why unit 3 names each theorem and each converse separately rather than treating them as one fact. Both happen to be true here, which is exactly what makes the confusion easy: a student who assumes theorems are reversible will be right in unit 3 and wrong elsewhere, and will not know the difference. It cites the parallel-concluding direction rather than the parallel-assuming one, and naming it keeps the proof from being circular

Lesson 2.3 · Unit 2 · G-CO.9

Two valid forms, and the two invalid ones that resemble them

Deductive reasoning moves from general statements to a specific conclusion, and unlike inductive reasoning it produces certainty. Two forms account for most of what geometry does, and each has an invalid twin that is easy to mistake for it.

The method
  1. Deductive reasoning applies general statements to reach a certain conclusion. If the premises are true and the form is valid, the conclusion cannot be false.
  2. The law of detachment: if "if \( p \), then \( q \)" is true and \( p \) is true, then \( q \) is true.
  3. The law of syllogism: if "if \( p \), then \( q \)" and "if \( q \), then \( r \)" are both true, then "if \( p \), then \( r \)" is true.
  4. Syllogism chains conditionals; detachment cashes one in against a specific case.
  5. The invalid twin of detachment is affirming the conclusion: from "if \( p \), then \( q \)" and \( q \), concluding \( p \). This is using the converse.
  6. The invalid twin of the contrapositive is denying the hypothesis: from "if \( p \), then \( q \)" and not \( p \), concluding not \( q \). This is using the inverse.
  7. What is valid is denying the conclusion: from "if \( p \), then \( q \)" and not \( q \), concluding not \( p \). That is the contrapositive, and it is sound.
  8. Check a chain by lining the conditionals up so that each conclusion is the next hypothesis. If they do not line up, syllogism does not apply.

Where students lose marks: concluding the hypothesis from the conclusion. Given "if a figure is a square, then it has four right angles," and a figure with four right angles, nothing follows about it being a square. That is the converse error wearing different clothes.

Worked example

The problem. Determine whether each argument is valid, and name the law or the error. (a) If two angles are vertical, they are congruent. \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) are vertical. Therefore \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 2 \). (b) If two angles are vertical, they are congruent. \( \angle 3 \cong \angle 4 \). Therefore \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 4 \) are vertical. (c) If a figure is a square, it is a rectangle. If a figure is a rectangle, it is a parallelogram. Therefore if a figure is a square, it is a parallelogram. (d) If a figure is a square, it is a rectangle. \( F \) is not a square. Therefore \( F \) is not a rectangle.

Step one: analyze (a) by matching to the form. The conditional is "if vertical, then congruent." The second premise asserts the hypothesis for a specific pair. That is exactly the law of detachment.

Step two: confirm (a) is valid. With the conditional true and its hypothesis satisfied, the conclusion follows with certainty. Valid, by the law of detachment. This is the form every line of a two-column proof uses.

Step three: analyze (b). The second premise asserts the conclusion of the conditional, not its hypothesis. Concluding the hypothesis from it is affirming the conclusion, which is invalid.

Step four: show (b) fails with a concrete case. Two right angles drawn in different corners of a page are congruent, satisfying the second premise, and are not vertical angles. So the premises can both hold while the conclusion is false, which is what invalidity means. The argument is using the converse, which lesson 2.2 showed to be false.

Step five: analyze (c) by lining the conditionals up. First: square implies rectangle. Second: rectangle implies parallelogram. The conclusion of the first is the hypothesis of the second, so they chain.

Step six: confirm (c) is valid. The law of syllogism gives "square implies parallelogram" directly. Valid. Note what the law does not require: it says nothing about whether any figure is actually a square. It produces a new conditional from two old ones, which is different from what detachment does.

Step seven: analyze (d). The second premise denies the hypothesis. From that, nothing follows about the conclusion. This is denying the hypothesis, which is invalid and amounts to using the inverse.

Step eight: show (d) fails and state the valid version. Let \( F \) be a rectangle that is not a square, say 3 by 5. It satisfies both premises: the conditional is true, and \( F \) is indeed not a square. Yet \( F \) is a rectangle, so the conclusion is false. The valid move in this direction is the contrapositive: if \( F \) were not a rectangle, then \( F \) would not be a square. Denying the conclusion is sound; denying the hypothesis is not. One word separates a valid argument from an invalid one, which is why these forms are worth naming rather than trusting to instinct.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does the law of detachment let you conclude?
    Show the full solution

    The conclusion, when the conditional is true and its hypothesis holds

  2. What does the law of syllogism produce?
    Show the full solution

    A new conditional linking the first hypothesis to the last conclusion

  3. Is deductive reasoning certain or probable?
    Show the full solution

    Certain, given true premises and a valid form

  4. "If \( x \gt 5 \), then \( x \gt 2 \). And \( x = 7 \)." What follows?
    Show the full solution

    \( 7 \gt 5 \), so the hypothesis holds and detachment applies. \( x \gt 2 \)

  5. "If \( x \gt 5 \), then \( x \gt 2 \). And \( x = 3 \)." What follows about \( x \gt 5 \)?
    Show the full solution

    \( 3 \gt 2 \) is true but \( 3 \gt 5 \) is false, so the conclusion holding tells you nothing. Nothing; concluding \( x \gt 5 \) would be affirming the conclusion

  6. Chain these: if a polygon is regular, all its sides are congruent. If all a polygon's sides are congruent, its perimeter is the side length times the number of sides.
    Show the full solution

    The conclusion of the first, "all its sides are congruent," is exactly the hypothesis of the second, so the law of syllogism applies. If a polygon is regular, then its perimeter is the side length times the number of sides

  7. Is this valid? "If two lines are perpendicular, they form a right angle. Lines \( a \) and \( b \) form a right angle. Therefore \( a \perp b \)."
    Show the full solution

    The form is affirming the conclusion, which is invalid in general: the second premise gives the conclusion of the conditional, and the argument infers the hypothesis. However, the conclusion happens to be true, because perpendicularity is a definition rather than a theorem. "Two lines are perpendicular if and only if they form a right angle" is a biconditional, so the reverse direction is separately available and may be cited. The argument as written is defective even though its conclusion is correct. The right justification is "definition of perpendicular lines" used in the reverse direction, not the law of detachment applied to a conditional. This distinction is worth the care: the same reasoning applied to a theorem instead of a definition would produce a false conclusion. The form is invalid, but the conclusion is justified because perpendicularity is a definition and therefore reversible

  8. Explain the difference between the law of detachment and the law of syllogism.
    Show the full solution

    They take different inputs and produce different kinds of output. Detachment takes one conditional and one specific fact, and produces a specific fact. From "if an angle is right, it measures \( 90^\circ \)" plus "\( \angle A \) is right," it produces "\( m\angle A = 90 \)." The output is about a particular object. Syllogism takes two conditionals and produces a third conditional. From "if regular, then equilateral" plus "if equilateral, then all sides congruent," it produces "if regular, then all sides congruent." The output is another general rule, and no particular figure has been mentioned. In a two-column proof, detachment is what almost every line does: a theorem is cited and applied to the figure at hand. Syllogism appears more often in the background, when a chain of theorems is compressed into one step or when a new theorem is derived from existing ones. Detachment applies a rule to a case and yields a fact; syllogism chains two rules and yields a new rule

  9. Construct an invalid argument that looks convincing, and identify the error.
    Show the full solution

    The argument: If a quadrilateral is a rhombus, then its diagonals are perpendicular. Quadrilateral \( ABCD \) has perpendicular diagonals. Therefore \( ABCD \) is a rhombus. Why it looks convincing: the conditional is a genuine theorem from lesson 7.4, the premise is a real geometric fact, and rhombuses do have perpendicular diagonals, so the conclusion feels natural. The error: affirming the conclusion. The argument reasons backward along a theorem, which is the converse error. The counterexample: a kite that is not a rhombus has perpendicular diagonals, as lesson 7.5 shows. So the premises hold and the conclusion fails. The converse does become true with an extra condition: a quadrilateral whose diagonals are perpendicular and bisect each other is a rhombus. Finding what the converse needs in order to be true is often more useful than simply noting that it fails. Affirming the conclusion; a non-rhombus kite is the counterexample

  10. Given: if a triangle is equilateral, it is isosceles. If a triangle is isosceles, it has two congruent angles. \( \triangle ABC \) has no two congruent angles. What follows?
    Show the full solution

    Two moves are needed, and the order matters. First, syllogism. The conclusion of the first conditional is the hypothesis of the second, so they chain: if a triangle is equilateral, then it has two congruent angles. Second, the contrapositive. The given fact denies the conclusion of that chained conditional: \( \triangle ABC \) does not have two congruent angles. Denying the conclusion is the valid direction, so it follows that \( \triangle ABC \) is not equilateral. What also follows. Applying the contrapositive of the second conditional alone gives that \( \triangle ABC \) is not isosceles. So the triangle is scalene. What does not follow. Nothing about whether it is right, acute or obtuse; the premises say nothing about that. \( \triangle ABC \) is neither equilateral nor isosceles, so it is scalene

Lesson 2.4 · Unit 2 · A-REI.1

Solving an equation with the reason for every line

You have solved linear equations for two years. What is new is being asked why each step is allowed, and naming the property that permits it. This is a rehearsal: the same properties appear in geometric proofs, and getting fluent with them on familiar algebra makes the unfamiliar part of unit 3 easier.

The method
  1. Write the equation, then justify each line with the property that produced it. The format is two columns: statements and reasons.
  2. The first line is always the given, and its reason is "given."
  3. The properties of equality: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division each say that doing the same thing to both sides preserves equality.
  4. The substitution property: if \( a = b \), then \( a \) may replace \( b \) anywhere.
  5. The distributive property is a property of arithmetic rather than of equality, and it justifies expanding a bracket.
  6. The reflexive, symmetric and transitive properties say that \( a = a \), that \( a = b \) gives \( b = a \), and that \( a = b \) with \( b = c \) gives \( a = c \).
  7. Name the property exactly. "Addition property of equality" is a reason; "moved it over" is not.
  8. The same properties apply to congruence, so \( \angle A \cong \angle A \) is the reflexive property of congruence, which appears constantly in unit 5.

Where students lose marks: writing "simplify" as a reason. Combining \( 3x + 2x \) into \( 5x \) is the distributive property in reverse, and subtracting 15 from both sides is the subtraction property of equality. Each line has a name and a proof is expected to use it.

Worked example

The problem. Prove that if \( 3(x - 5) = 21 \), then \( x = 12 \), giving a reason for every line. Then prove that if \( 2(y + 4) = 5y - 7 \), then \( y = 5 \).

Step one: state what is given and what is to be proved. Given: \( 3(x - 5) = 21 \). Prove: \( x = 12 \). Every proof opens this way, so that a reader knows what may be assumed and what is being claimed.

Step two: write the first two lines of the first proof. 1. \( 3(x - 5) = 21 \). Reason: given. 2. \( 3x - 15 = 21 \). Reason: distributive property.

Step three: continue. 3. \( 3x = 36 \). Reason: addition property of equality, adding 15 to both sides. 4. \( x = 12 \). Reason: division property of equality, dividing both sides by 3.

Step four: check the result. Substituting: \( 3(12 - 5) = 3(7) = 21 \). Correct. The check is not part of the proof, since the proof establishes the result for certain, but it catches arithmetic slips.

Step five: set up the second proof. Given: \( 2(y + 4) = 5y - 7 \). Prove: \( y = 5 \). 1. \( 2(y + 4) = 5y - 7 \). Reason: given. 2. \( 2y + 8 = 5y - 7 \). Reason: distributive property.

Step six: collect the variable. 3. \( 8 = 3y - 7 \). Reason: subtraction property of equality, subtracting \( 2y \) from both sides. 4. \( 15 = 3y \). Reason: addition property of equality, adding 7 to both sides.

Step seven: finish and orient the statement. 5. \( 5 = y \). Reason: division property of equality. 6. \( y = 5 \). Reason: symmetric property of equality. That last line looks pedantic and is worth including once: the proof was asked to establish \( y = 5 \), and line 5 produced \( 5 = y \). They say the same thing, and the symmetric property is the reason that licenses swapping them.

Step eight: note which properties will reappear geometrically. Every property used here returns in unit 5 with congruence in place of equality. The reflexive property becomes \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AB} \), which is how a shared side enters a triangle congruence proof. The transitive property becomes the step that concludes two figures congruent because each is congruent to a third. The substitution property is how a length found in one part of a diagram enters an equation in another. Learning the names here on familiar algebra is the whole purpose of the lesson.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What property justifies going from \( x - 4 = 9 \) to \( x = 13 \)?
    Show the full solution

    Addition property of equality

  2. What property justifies going from \( 5x = 30 \) to \( x = 6 \)?
    Show the full solution

    Division property of equality

  3. What property is \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AB} \)?
    Show the full solution

    Reflexive property of congruence

  4. What property justifies going from \( 2(x + 3) \) to \( 2x + 6 \)?
    Show the full solution

    Distributive property

  5. If \( AB = CD \) and \( CD = EF \), what property gives \( AB = EF \)?
    Show the full solution

    Transitive property of equality

  6. Prove that if \( 4x + 7 = 31 \), then \( x = 6 \), with a reason for every line.
    Show the full solution

    Given: \( 4x + 7 = 31 \). Prove: \( x = 6 \). 1. \( 4x + 7 = 31 \). Reason: given. 2. \( 4x = 24 \). Reason: subtraction property of equality. 3. \( x = 6 \). Reason: division property of equality. Check: \( 4(6) + 7 = 31 \). Correct. Proved in three lines

  7. Prove that if \( \dfrac{x}{3} - 2 = 7 \), then \( x = 27 \).
    Show the full solution

    Given: \( \dfrac{x}{3} - 2 = 7 \). Prove: \( x = 27 \). 1. \( \dfrac{x}{3} - 2 = 7 \). Reason: given. 2. \( \dfrac{x}{3} = 9 \). Reason: addition property of equality. 3. \( x = 27 \). Reason: multiplication property of equality, multiplying both sides by 3. Check: \( 27 \div 3 - 2 = 9 - 2 = 7 \). Correct. Proved in three lines

  8. Prove that if \( 5(y - 2) = 3y + 8 \), then \( y = 9 \).
    Show the full solution

    Given: \( 5(y - 2) = 3y + 8 \). Prove: \( y = 9 \). 1. \( 5(y - 2) = 3y + 8 \). Reason: given. 2. \( 5y - 10 = 3y + 8 \). Reason: distributive property. 3. \( 2y - 10 = 8 \). Reason: subtraction property of equality, subtracting \( 3y \). 4. \( 2y = 18 \). Reason: addition property of equality, adding 10. 5. \( y = 9 \). Reason: division property of equality. Check: \( 5(9 - 2) = 35 \) and \( 3(9) + 8 = 35 \). They agree. Proved in five lines

  9. Explain why an algebraic proof is worth writing when you already know how to solve the equation.
    Show the full solution

    The point is not the answer, which is already reachable, but the habit of justifying each move by name. Geometry will shortly ask for arguments about figures, where there is no procedure to fall back on and where the reason for each step is the entire content of the work. A student who has never articulated why subtracting from both sides is allowed will struggle to articulate why two triangles are congruent, because the difficulty is the same and only the subject matter differs. There is a second reason. The properties of equality used here are the same properties used in geometric proofs, extended to congruence. The reflexive property is what lets a shared side enter a triangle congruence proof. The substitution property is what lets a length established in one part of a figure be used in another. Practicing them on equations, where the mathematics is easy, means only one new thing has to be learned at a time. It builds the habit of naming reasons, on familiar material, using the same properties geometric proofs will need

  10. Prove that if \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \), then \( AM = \frac{1}{2}AB \), naming every reason.
    Show the full solution

    Given: \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \). Prove: \( AM = \frac{1}{2}AB \). 1. \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \overline{AM} \cong \overline{MB} \). Reason: definition of midpoint. 3. \( AM = MB \). Reason: definition of congruent segments. 4. \( AM + MB = AB \). Reason: segment addition postulate, since a midpoint lies between the endpoints. 5. \( AM + AM = AB \). Reason: substitution property of equality, replacing \( MB \) with \( AM \) using line 3. 6. \( 2AM = AB \). Reason: distributive property. 7. \( AM = \frac{1}{2}AB \). Reason: division property of equality. This is the first proof in the course that mixes geometric reasons with algebraic ones, and it shows how they interlock. Lines 2 and 4 come from geometry; lines 5, 6 and 7 are pure algebra; line 3 is the bridge between the geometric language of congruence and the arithmetic language of length. That bridge line is the one students omit, and without it line 5 has nothing to substitute. Proved in seven lines, with the congruence converted to an equation before the algebra begins

Lesson 2.5 · Unit 2 · G-CO.9

The format, and the discipline it enforces

A two-column proof is not a style choice. The format exists to make one thing impossible: asserting something without saying why. Every statement sits beside its reason, and a blank in the reason column is visible from across the room.

The method
  1. Write the given and the prove first, in geometric notation, before anything else.
  2. Mark the diagram with everything given: tick marks for congruent segments, arcs for congruent angles, squares for right angles.
  3. Plan backward from the conclusion. Ask what would be enough to establish it, then what would establish that.
  4. Number the statements and align each reason beside it.
  5. Line 1 is a given, and its reason is "given."
  6. Every reason is a definition, postulate, theorem or property already available at this point in the course.
  7. The last statement is exactly what was to be proved, written the same way it was stated.
  8. Check the proof by reading only the reason column. If any reason is vague, missing, or a restatement of the claim, the proof is not finished.

Where students lose marks: using the diagram as a reason. "Because they look congruent" and "from the picture" are never reasons. A marked diagram supplies givens, and everything else must be derived.

Worked example

The problem. Given that \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) bisects \( \angle ABC \) and that \( m\angle ABC = 70^\circ \), prove that \( m\angle ABD = 35^\circ \). Write a full two-column proof.

Step one: state the given and the prove. Given: \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) bisects \( \angle ABC \); \( m\angle ABC = 70^\circ \). Prove: \( m\angle ABD = 35^\circ \).

Step two: mark the diagram. Draw \( \angle ABC \) with \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) through its interior, and put a single arc on \( \angle ABD \) and a matching single arc on \( \angle DBC \) to record that the bisector makes them congruent. Write \( 70^\circ \) at the whole angle.

Step three: plan backward. The goal is a measure of \( 35^\circ \). That would follow from \( 2 \cdot m\angle ABD = 70 \). That would follow from \( m\angle ABD + m\angle DBC = 70 \) together with \( m\angle ABD = m\angle DBC \). The first comes from angle addition and the second from the bisector. The plan is complete before a single line is written.

Step four: write lines 1 and 2. 1. \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) bisects \( \angle ABC \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle ABD \cong \angle DBC \). Reason: definition of an angle bisector.

Step five: convert to measures. 3. \( m\angle ABD = m\angle DBC \). Reason: definition of congruent angles. This is the bridge line: congruence is about figures, and the algebra to come needs numbers. Omitting it is the most common gap in a proof of this shape.

Step six: bring in the whole angle. 4. \( m\angle ABD + m\angle DBC = m\angle ABC \). Reason: angle addition postulate, since \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) is in the interior. 5. \( m\angle ABC = 70 \). Reason: given.

Step seven: substitute and finish. 6. \( m\angle ABD + m\angle ABD = 70 \). Reason: substitution property of equality, using lines 3, 4 and 5. 7. \( 2 \cdot m\angle ABD = 70 \). Reason: distributive property. 8. \( m\angle ABD = 35 \). Reason: division property of equality.

Step eight: check by reading the reason column alone. Given, definition of angle bisector, definition of congruent angles, angle addition postulate, given, substitution, distributive, division. Every entry names something specific and available. Nothing says "obvious," nothing says "from the diagram," and nothing cites a theorem the course has not reached. The final statement matches the prove exactly. The proof is complete.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What are the two columns of a two-column proof?
    Show the full solution

    Statements and reasons

  2. What is the reason for the first line of a proof?
    Show the full solution

    Given

  3. Is "it looks that way in the diagram" a valid reason?
    Show the full solution

    No

  4. What must the last statement of a proof be?
    Show the full solution

    Exactly what was to be proved

  5. What reason converts \( \angle A \cong \angle B \) into \( m\angle A = m\angle B \)?
    Show the full solution

    Definition of congruent angles

  6. Given \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \) and \( AB = 24 \), prove \( MB = 12 \).
    Show the full solution

    1. \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \); \( AB = 24 \). Reason: given. 2. \( \overline{AM} \cong \overline{MB} \). Reason: definition of midpoint. 3. \( AM = MB \). Reason: definition of congruent segments. 4. \( AM + MB = AB \). Reason: segment addition postulate. 5. \( MB + MB = 24 \). Reason: substitution property of equality, using lines 1 and 3. 6. \( 2 \cdot MB = 24 \). Reason: distributive property. 7. \( MB = 12 \). Reason: division property of equality. Proved in seven lines

  7. Given that \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) form a linear pair and \( m\angle 1 = 62^\circ \), prove \( m\angle 2 = 118^\circ \).
    Show the full solution

    1. \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) form a linear pair; \( m\angle 1 = 62 \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) are supplementary. Reason: linear pair theorem. 3. \( m\angle 1 + m\angle 2 = 180 \). Reason: definition of supplementary angles. 4. \( 62 + m\angle 2 = 180 \). Reason: substitution property of equality. 5. \( m\angle 2 = 118 \). Reason: subtraction property of equality. Line 2 and line 3 are separate for a reason: the linear pair theorem concludes supplementarity, and the definition of supplementary converts that into an equation. Collapsing them hides which fact is doing the work. Proved in five lines

  8. A proof's reason column reads: given, given, obvious, so they are congruent. Diagnose it.
    Show the full solution

    Two of the four entries are defective, and both defects are fatal. "Obvious" is not a reason. It names nothing that could be checked, and it is exactly what the format exists to prevent. Whatever step it justifies either follows from a definition, postulate or theorem, in which case that should be named, or it does not follow, in which case the proof has a gap. "So they are congruent" is a statement, not a reason. It belongs in the left column. The right column must say what licenses that conclusion, such as a congruence criterion or the definition of congruent segments. The test named in the method is what catches both: read only the reason column. It should be a list of specific, citable results. Anything that is vague, or that repeats the statement, or that appeals to appearance, is a gap in the argument rather than a stylistic shortfall. "Obvious" names no justification, and "so they are congruent" is a statement misplaced in the reason column

  9. Given \( \angle A \cong \angle B \), \( \angle B \cong \angle C \), and \( m\angle C = 40^\circ \), prove \( m\angle A = 40^\circ \).
    Show the full solution

    1. \( \angle A \cong \angle B \); \( \angle B \cong \angle C \); \( m\angle C = 40 \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle A \cong \angle C \). Reason: transitive property of congruence. 3. \( m\angle A = m\angle C \). Reason: definition of congruent angles. 4. \( m\angle A = 40 \). Reason: substitution property of equality. An alternative route converts to measures first and then uses the transitive property of equality instead of congruence. Both are correct; what matters is that the property named matches the relation being used, congruence or equality, on that line. Proved in four lines

  10. Explain why the two-column format is used to teach proof, and what it makes impossible.
    Show the full solution

    The format enforces one rule by its shape: every statement sits beside a reason, so an unjustified claim leaves a visible blank. In a paragraph, the same gap can hide behind a connective. "Clearly, therefore, and so it follows that" reads smoothly while justifying nothing, and both the writer and the reader can miss it. It also makes the structure of the argument visible. The statements form a chain from the given to the conclusion, each line depending on earlier ones, and reading down the left column shows the path taken. A proof that jumps, or that assumes something not yet established, shows the jump as a line whose reason cannot be supplied. A third thing it prevents is circularity. Since every reason must be a result already available, citing the theorem being proved is immediately visible as a reason that is not yet legitimate. What the format costs is readability. Mathematicians write proofs in paragraphs because they are easier to follow once the habit of justification is secure. Lesson 2.7 takes that up. The two-column form is a training format, kept until the discipline it enforces no longer needs enforcing. It makes an unjustified assertion visible as an empty reason, and it exposes gaps and circular citations that a paragraph can hide

Lesson 2.6 · Unit 2 · G-CO.9

The first real theorems, proved rather than assumed

Three theorems in this lesson get used constantly for the rest of the course, and all three are proved here from what is already available. Each proof has the same shape: convert congruence to equality, use an addition postulate, and finish with algebra.

The method
  1. The congruent supplements theorem: if two angles are supplementary to the same angle, or to congruent angles, then they are congruent.
  2. The congruent complements theorem says the same with \( 90^\circ \) in place of \( 180^\circ \).
  3. The right angle congruence theorem: all right angles are congruent.
  4. The vertical angles theorem: vertical angles are congruent, proved in lesson 1.4 and now available by name.
  5. The proofs share a structure: write both supplementary relationships as equations, set them equal because both equal the same number, and cancel the shared term.
  6. Convert between congruence and measure explicitly, citing the definition of congruent angles each way.
  7. Once proved, a theorem may be cited by name, which is what makes later proofs short.
  8. A theorem may never be cited inside its own proof, which is the second of the four errors this course names.

Where students lose marks: citing a theorem that comes later in the course. Every proof may use only what has already been established. A proof of the vertical angles theorem that cites the vertical angles theorem proves nothing, and one that cites a unit 5 result is using machinery built on the theorem being proved.

Worked example

The problem. Prove the congruent supplements theorem: if \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) are supplementary, and \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 2 \) are supplementary, then \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 3 \). Then prove the right angle congruence theorem.

Step one: state the given and the prove. Given: \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) are supplementary; \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 2 \) are supplementary. Prove: \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 3 \). Notice that the two pairs share \( \angle 2 \). That shared angle is what the proof will cancel.

Step two: convert both givens into equations. 1. \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) are supplementary; \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 2 \) are supplementary. Reason: given. 2. \( m\angle 1 + m\angle 2 = 180 \). Reason: definition of supplementary angles. 3. \( m\angle 3 + m\angle 2 = 180 \). Reason: definition of supplementary angles.

Step three: connect the two equations. 4. \( m\angle 1 + m\angle 2 = m\angle 3 + m\angle 2 \). Reason: transitive property of equality, since both expressions equal 180.

Step four: cancel and finish. 5. \( m\angle 1 = m\angle 3 \). Reason: subtraction property of equality, subtracting \( m\angle 2 \) from both sides. 6. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 3 \). Reason: definition of congruent angles.

Step five: check the proof for circularity. The reasons used were: given, the definition of supplementary, the transitive and subtraction properties of equality, and the definition of congruent angles. Every one is available from unit 1 or lesson 2.4. Nothing from later in the course was used, and the theorem being proved was never cited. The proof is sound.

Step six: note how general the proof is. Nothing in it assumed the angles were adjacent, or in the same figure, or anything about their sizes. The theorem holds for any two angles supplementary to the same angle, wherever they are. That generality is what distinguishes a proof from a verified example.

Step seven: prove the right angle congruence theorem. Given: \( \angle A \) and \( \angle B \) are right angles. Prove: \( \angle A \cong \angle B \). 1. \( \angle A \) and \( \angle B \) are right angles. Reason: given. 2. \( m\angle A = 90 \). Reason: definition of a right angle. 3. \( m\angle B = 90 \). Reason: definition of a right angle. 4. \( m\angle A = m\angle B \). Reason: transitive property of equality. 5. \( \angle A \cong \angle B \). Reason: definition of congruent angles.

Step eight: note why so short a proof is worth writing. The result feels too obvious to need proving, and that is precisely why it is worth doing: it shows that a proof establishes a claim from stated reasons rather than from conviction. It also earns the right to cite "all right angles are congruent" as a reason later, which unit 5 does repeatedly when two figures each contain a right angle. Without this theorem, each of those proofs would have to repeat the three lines above.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. State the congruent complements theorem.
    Show the full solution

    If two angles are complementary to the same angle or to congruent angles, then they are congruent

  2. Are all right angles congruent?
    Show the full solution

    Each measures \( 90^\circ \). Yes

  3. \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) are both supplementary to \( \angle 3 \). What follows?
    Show the full solution

    \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 2 \), by the congruent supplements theorem

  4. May a theorem be used inside its own proof?
    Show the full solution

    No; that is circular reasoning

  5. \( \angle A \) is complementary to \( \angle B \), and \( m\angle A = 28^\circ \). Find \( m\angle B \).
    Show the full solution

    \( 62^\circ \)

  6. Prove the congruent complements theorem.
    Show the full solution

    Given: \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) are complementary; \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 2 \) are complementary. Prove: \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 3 \). 1. Both pairs are complementary. Reason: given. 2. \( m\angle 1 + m\angle 2 = 90 \). Reason: definition of complementary angles. 3. \( m\angle 3 + m\angle 2 = 90 \). Reason: definition of complementary angles. 4. \( m\angle 1 + m\angle 2 = m\angle 3 + m\angle 2 \). Reason: transitive property of equality. 5. \( m\angle 1 = m\angle 3 \). Reason: subtraction property of equality. 6. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 3 \). Reason: definition of congruent angles. The proof is identical to the supplements version with 90 in place of 180, which is worth noticing: the argument never used anything about the number itself. Proved in six lines

  7. \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) form a linear pair, and \( \angle 2 \) and \( \angle 3 \) form a linear pair. Prove \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 3 \).
    Show the full solution

    1. \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) form a linear pair; \( \angle 2 \) and \( \angle 3 \) form a linear pair. Reason: given. 2. \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) are supplementary. Reason: linear pair theorem. 3. \( \angle 2 \) and \( \angle 3 \) are supplementary. Reason: linear pair theorem. 4. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 3 \). Reason: congruent supplements theorem, since both are supplementary to \( \angle 2 \). This is exactly the vertical angles theorem, since two angles each forming a linear pair with a third are vertical to each other. Proving it this way instead of from scratch shows what a named theorem buys: the whole algebraic middle of the lesson 1.4 proof is now compressed into line 4. Proved in four lines using the congruent supplements theorem

  8. Explain why the congruent supplements theorem does not require the angles to be adjacent.
    Show the full solution

    Look at what the proof actually used. It converted "supplementary" into an equation about measures, set the two equations equal because both sides equaled 180, and canceled the shared term. Every step was about numbers. Nothing in that chain referred to where the angles were, whether they touched, or whether they appeared in the same figure. Supplementary is defined by measure alone, as lesson 1.4 emphasized, and the proof inherits that generality. The practical consequence is useful. The theorem applies to two angles in completely different parts of a complicated diagram, provided each is supplementary to the same third angle. Proofs in unit 3 use it exactly that way, relating an angle above a transversal to one several intersections away. A theorem is only as general as its proof allows, and reading a proof to see what it did not use is how you find out how widely it applies. The proof used only the numerical definition of supplementary, so position never entered it

  9. A student proves the vertical angles theorem by citing "vertical angles are congruent" at line 3. Diagnose it.
    Show the full solution

    This is circular reasoning, the second of the four errors this course names. The proof assumes exactly what it is supposed to establish. A proof must derive its conclusion from results already available, meaning things proved earlier or accepted as postulates. The vertical angles theorem is not yet available inside its own proof, because its availability is what the proof is creating. The failure is easy to miss because the cited statement is true. Circularity does not produce a false conclusion; it produces no conclusion at all, since the argument establishes nothing that was not already assumed. If the statement were unavailable for some other reason, the same proof would collapse. The correct proof, from lesson 1.4, uses two applications of the linear pair theorem and the subtraction property of equality, all of which were available before the theorem existed. Circular reasoning: the theorem is cited inside its own proof, so nothing is established

  10. \( \angle 1 \) is supplementary to \( \angle 2 \), \( \angle 3 \) is supplementary to \( \angle 4 \), and \( \angle 2 \cong \angle 4 \). Prove \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 3 \).
    Show the full solution

    This is the second form of the congruent supplements theorem, supplementary to congruent angles rather than to the same angle. It can be cited directly, but proving it shows where the extra congruence enters. 1. \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) supplementary; \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 4 \) supplementary; \( \angle 2 \cong \angle 4 \). Reason: given. 2. \( m\angle 1 + m\angle 2 = 180 \). Reason: definition of supplementary angles. 3. \( m\angle 3 + m\angle 4 = 180 \). Reason: definition of supplementary angles. 4. \( m\angle 2 = m\angle 4 \). Reason: definition of congruent angles. 5. \( m\angle 3 + m\angle 2 = 180 \). Reason: substitution property of equality, using lines 3 and 4. 6. \( m\angle 1 + m\angle 2 = m\angle 3 + m\angle 2 \). Reason: transitive property of equality, using lines 2 and 5. 7. \( m\angle 1 = m\angle 3 \). Reason: subtraction property of equality. 8. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 3 \). Reason: definition of congruent angles. The only new work is lines 4 and 5, which use the given congruence to make the two equations refer to the same angle. After that the proof is identical to the worked example. Proved in eight lines; the given congruence is used to make both equations share a term

Lesson 2.7 · Unit 2 · G-CO.9

Three formats for the same argument, and choosing between them

A proof is an argument, and an argument can be written several ways. The two-column form is the training format because it makes gaps visible. Once the habit is secure, a paragraph is easier to read and a flowchart shows structure that neither of the others does.

The method
  1. A paragraph proof writes the same argument in sentences, with every reason stated in the prose rather than in a column.
  2. The test for a paragraph proof is whether the reasons survive. Every claim must still say what justifies it; only the layout has changed.
  3. A flowchart proof puts each statement in a box with its reason beneath, joined by arrows showing which statements feed which.
  4. A flowchart shows parallel branches that a two-column proof flattens into a list, which is why it suits proofs where two independent facts combine.
  5. Use a two-column proof when the argument is a single chain, or when the question asks for one.
  6. Use a paragraph proof for short arguments and when the reasoning is easier to follow as prose.
  7. Use a flowchart when several independent threads converge, as in the triangle congruence proofs of unit 5.
  8. All three are equally valid. A correct proof in any format earns full marks unless a specific format was requested.

Where students lose marks: writing a paragraph that narrates instead of proving. "First we see the angles are congruent, then the triangles must be congruent, so the sides are equal" states three conclusions and justifies none. Changing format does not relax the requirement to name reasons.

Worked example

The problem. Given that \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) form a linear pair and that \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 2 \), prove that \( \angle 1 \) is a right angle. Write the proof in all three formats.

Step one: plan the argument once, before choosing a format. A linear pair is supplementary, so the measures sum to 180. The angles are congruent, so the measures are equal. Substituting gives twice one measure equal to 180, so each is 90, which makes each a right angle. The argument is the same whichever way it is written.

Step two: write the two-column version. 1. \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) form a linear pair; \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 2 \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) are supplementary. Reason: linear pair theorem. 3. \( m\angle 1 + m\angle 2 = 180 \). Reason: definition of supplementary angles. 4. \( m\angle 1 = m\angle 2 \). Reason: definition of congruent angles.

Step three: finish the two-column version. 5. \( m\angle 1 + m\angle 1 = 180 \). Reason: substitution property of equality. 6. \( 2 \cdot m\angle 1 = 180 \). Reason: distributive property. 7. \( m\angle 1 = 90 \). Reason: division property of equality. 8. \( \angle 1 \) is a right angle. Reason: definition of a right angle.

Step four: write the paragraph version. Since \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 2 \) form a linear pair, they are supplementary by the linear pair theorem, so \( m\angle 1 + m\angle 2 = 180 \) by the definition of supplementary angles. Because \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 2 \), the definition of congruent angles gives \( m\angle 1 = m\angle 2 \). Substituting \( m\angle 1 \) for \( m\angle 2 \) in the first equation gives \( 2 \cdot m\angle 1 = 180 \), so \( m\angle 1 = 90 \) by the division property of equality. An angle measuring \( 90^\circ \) is a right angle by definition, so \( \angle 1 \) is a right angle.

Step five: check the paragraph against the two-column version. Every reason appears: linear pair theorem, definition of supplementary, definition of congruent angles, substitution, division property, definition of a right angle. Nothing was dropped in translation, which is the only thing that matters. The paragraph is shorter because the connectives carry some of the bookkeeping.

Step six: describe the flowchart version. Two boxes sit at the top, one for each given. From "linear pair" an arrow leads to "supplementary," labeled with the linear pair theorem, and from there to "\( m\angle 1 + m\angle 2 = 180 \)." From "\( \angle 1 \cong \angle 2 \)" a separate arrow leads to "\( m\angle 1 = m\angle 2 \)," labeled with the definition of congruent angles.

Step seven: finish the flowchart. The two branches converge on a single box reading "\( 2 \cdot m\angle 1 = 180 \)," labeled substitution, with arrows from both branches into it. From there one arrow leads to "\( m\angle 1 = 90 \)" and a final arrow to "\( \angle 1 \) is a right angle."

Step eight: note what each format showed. The two-column version numbered every step, making it easy to cite line 3 later. The paragraph read most naturally and was shortest. The flowchart made one thing visible that the others hid: the two givens are independent, travel separately, and only meet at the substitution. A reader of the two-column proof has to notice that lines 2 and 3 use only the first given while line 4 uses only the second, which the numbering does not show. That is the real basis for choosing. Single chain, two columns. Short argument, paragraph. Converging threads, flowchart.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Name the three proof formats in this course.
    Show the full solution

    Two-column, paragraph and flowchart

  2. Does a paragraph proof need reasons?
    Show the full solution

    Yes; every reason must appear in the prose

  3. What do the arrows in a flowchart proof show?
    Show the full solution

    Which statements follow from which

  4. Which format best shows two independent branches converging?
    Show the full solution

    Flowchart

  5. Is a correct paragraph proof worth full marks when the question does not specify a format?
    Show the full solution

    Yes

  6. Rewrite as a paragraph proof: given \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \), prove \( AM = \frac{1}{2}AB \).
    Show the full solution

    Since \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \), the definition of a midpoint gives \( \overline{AM} \cong \overline{MB} \), and therefore \( AM = MB \) by the definition of congruent segments. Because \( M \) lies between \( A \) and \( B \), the segment addition postulate gives \( AM + MB = AB \). Substituting \( AM \) for \( MB \) yields \( 2 \cdot AM = AB \), so \( AM = \frac{1}{2}AB \) by the division property of equality. Every reason from the seven-line two-column version survives: definition of midpoint, definition of congruent segments, segment addition postulate, substitution, division property. The paragraph is shorter only because the numbering is gone. Proved, with all five reasons named in the prose

  7. A paragraph reads: "The angles are congruent because the triangles are congruent, and the triangles are congruent because the angles are congruent." Diagnose it.
    Show the full solution

    It is circular. Each claim is justified by the other, so the pair supports itself and rests on nothing established. Unwinding it: to accept the first sentence a reader must already accept that the triangles are congruent, and the only offered reason for that is the first sentence's conclusion. The argument never touches a given, a definition, a postulate or a previously proved theorem, which is what a proof is required to do. A correct version would establish triangle congruence from a criterion such as SAS, using given information, and then conclude the angles congruent by corresponding parts. The direction runs one way: from givens through a criterion to congruence and then to the parts. Circularity is easier to hide in a paragraph than in a two-column proof, which is exactly why the two-column format is taught first. In columns, both of these lines would need reasons, and neither reason would be available. Circular reasoning; each claim is the other's justification and neither rests on a given

  8. Describe a flowchart proof for: given \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 2 \) and \( \angle 2 \cong \angle 3 \), prove \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 3 \).
    Show the full solution

    Two boxes at the top, side by side: "\( \angle 1 \cong \angle 2 \)" with the reason "given" beneath it, and "\( \angle 2 \cong \angle 3 \)" with "given" beneath it. An arrow from each leads into a single box below: "\( \angle 1 \cong \angle 3 \)" with the reason "transitive property of congruence" beneath it. The flowchart makes the structure obvious in a way the linear formats do not: both givens are needed simultaneously for the single inference, and neither leads anywhere on its own. A two-column proof of the same argument would list the givens as lines 1 and 2 and the conclusion as line 3, which implies a sequence that is not really there. Two given boxes converging by arrows on one conclusion box labeled with the transitive property

  9. Write a paragraph proof: given \( \angle A \) and \( \angle B \) are both supplementary to \( \angle C \), prove \( \angle A \cong \angle B \).
    Show the full solution

    Since \( \angle A \) and \( \angle C \) are supplementary, the definition of supplementary angles gives \( m\angle A + m\angle C = 180 \). Since \( \angle B \) and \( \angle C \) are also supplementary, the same definition gives \( m\angle B + m\angle C = 180 \). Both expressions equal 180, so by the transitive property of equality \( m\angle A + m\angle C = m\angle B + m\angle C \). Subtracting \( m\angle C \) from both sides, by the subtraction property of equality, gives \( m\angle A = m\angle B \), and therefore \( \angle A \cong \angle B \) by the definition of congruent angles. This is the congruent supplements theorem, so in any later proof it could be cited in a single line by name rather than rebuilt. Writing it out here is what earns that right. Proved; this is the congruent supplements theorem

  10. Explain when each format is the right choice, with a reason for each.
    Show the full solution

    Two-column. Best when the argument is a single chain of many steps, and best when learning, because the format makes an unjustified claim visible as an empty reason. Also the right choice whenever a question asks for a two-column proof, since format instructions are part of the question. The numbering makes it possible to refer back to a specific line, which matters in long proofs. Paragraph. Best for short arguments of three or four steps, where columns are more apparatus than the content needs. It is also how mathematicians actually write proofs, so it is worth becoming fluent in. The risk is that connectives can disguise a gap, so a paragraph proof must be checked by asking whether each claim still names its reason. Flowchart. Best when several independent facts are established separately and then combined, because the arrows show the structure directly. The triangle congruence proofs of unit 5 are the natural home for it: three separate pairs of congruent parts are each established on their own branch, and all three converge on a single application of SSS or SAS. A two-column version of the same proof lists nine lines in an order that suggests a sequence which is not really there. Chain of steps, two columns; short argument, paragraph; converging independent threads, flowchart

Unit 2 mixed review · 10 problems · all topics

Unit 2: Reasoning and Proof

Half of these ask you to name a reason rather than compute a number, which is the habit the rest of the course depends on.

  1. Give a counterexample to "every prime number is odd."
    Show the full solution

    2 is prime and even. 2

  2. Write the converse of "if a figure is a square, then it is a rectangle," and say whether it is true.
    Show the full solution

    Converse: if a figure is a rectangle, then it is a square. False, since a rectangle with unequal sides is not a square. False

  3. Which related statement is always logically equivalent to the original?
    Show the full solution

    The contrapositive

  4. Given "if it rains, the game is canceled" and "it rained," what does the law of detachment conclude?
    Show the full solution

    The hypothesis is satisfied, so the conclusion follows. The game is canceled

  5. Name the property: if \( AB = CD \) and \( CD = EF \), then \( AB = EF \).
    Show the full solution

    The transitive property of equality

  6. Write an algebraic proof that \( 3(x - 4) = 18 \) implies \( x = 10 \), naming each reason.
    Show the full solution

    \( 3(x - 4) = 18 \). Reason: Given. \( 3x - 12 = 18 \). Reason: Distributive property. \( 3x = 30 \). Reason: Addition property of equality. \( x = 10 \). Reason: Division property of equality. Check: \( 3(10 - 4) = 3(6) = 18 \). Correct. \( x = 10 \)

  7. Given "if a figure is a rhombus then it is a parallelogram" and "if a figure is a parallelogram then its opposite sides are congruent," what does the law of syllogism conclude?
    Show the full solution

    The conclusion of the first matches the hypothesis of the second, so the chain links. If a figure is a rhombus, then its opposite sides are congruent

  8. Prove that if two angles are supplementary to the same angle, they are congruent.
    Show the full solution

    Given. \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 3 \) are supplementary; \( \angle 2 \) and \( \angle 3 \) are supplementary. Prove. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 2 \). \( m\angle 1 + m\angle 3 = 180 \). Reason: Definition of supplementary. \( m\angle 2 + m\angle 3 = 180 \). Reason: Definition of supplementary. \( m\angle 1 + m\angle 3 = m\angle 2 + m\angle 3 \). Reason: Substitution. \( m\angle 1 = m\angle 2 \). Reason: Subtraction property of equality. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 2 \). Reason: Definition of congruent angles. Note the last line. Equal measures and congruent angles are different statements, and the definition of congruence is what converts one to the other. Omitting that line is the most common deduction in a graded proof. The congruent supplements theorem

  9. Explain why no number of confirming examples proves a conjecture.
    Show the full solution

    A conjecture usually claims something about infinitely many cases, and checking any finite number of them leaves infinitely many unchecked. Confirming cases raise confidence without establishing certainty. The asymmetry that matters. One counterexample disproves a universal claim outright, because the claim asserted that no such case exists. So a single failure is decisive while a thousand successes are not. A concrete illustration. The expression \( n^2 + n + 11 \) gives a prime for \( n = 0 \) through \( n = 9 \), ten consecutive confirmations. It fails at \( n = 11 \), where the value is \( 121 + 11 + 11 = 143 = 11 \times 13 \). Ten successes were worth nothing. What inductive reasoning is for. It generates conjectures worth trying to prove. Deductive reasoning then settles them. Confusing the two, by treating a pattern as established, is the error this unit exists to prevent. Finitely many cases leave infinitely many untested, while one counterexample settles the matter

  10. Prove indirectly that a triangle cannot have two right angles.
    Show the full solution

    The setup. An indirect proof assumes the opposite of what is to be proved and derives a contradiction. Assume. Suppose some triangle has two right angles. Call them \( \angle A \) and \( \angle B \), so \( m\angle A = 90 \) and \( m\angle B = 90 \). Derive. The angles of a triangle sum to \( 180^\circ \), so \( 90 + 90 + m\angle C = 180 \), giving \( m\angle C = 0 \). The contradiction. An angle of a triangle must have positive measure, since a triangle's three vertices are noncollinear and its sides are genuine segments meeting at each vertex. A zero-measure angle would mean two sides lie along the same ray, which makes the three vertices collinear and the figure not a triangle at all. Conclude. The assumption is impossible, so no triangle has two right angles. A related result, free. The same argument shows a triangle cannot have two obtuse angles either, nor one right and one obtuse, since in each case the remaining angle would have measure zero or less. So every triangle has at least two acute angles, which is why the classification into acute, right and obtuse is decided by a single angle. Two right angles force the third to measure zero, which no triangle permits

Lesson 3.1 · Unit 3 · G-CO.1

Names that describe position and claim nothing about measure

A transversal crossing two lines creates eight angles, and four names sort them into pairs. The names are purely about where the angles sit. Until the lines are known to be parallel, no name carries any claim about measure, and keeping that clear is what prevents the error this unit is built around.

The method
  1. A transversal is a line crossing two or more lines at distinct points. It creates four angles at each intersection, eight in total.
  2. Interior angles lie between the two lines; exterior angles lie outside them.
  3. Corresponding angles occupy matching positions at the two intersections: same side of the transversal, same side of their own line.
  4. Alternate interior angles are interior and on opposite sides of the transversal, at different intersections.
  5. Alternate exterior angles are exterior and on opposite sides, at different intersections.
  6. Same-side interior angles are interior and on the same side, sometimes called co-interior or consecutive interior angles.
  7. All four names describe position only. Two corresponding angles have a name whether or not the lines are parallel, and nothing follows about their measures until parallelism is known.
  8. Identify a pair by asking two questions: interior or exterior, and same side or opposite side of the transversal.

Where students lose marks: assuming corresponding angles are congruent when nothing says the lines are parallel. The name is about position. If the lines are not parallel, corresponding angles are still called corresponding and are not congruent. Every claim about measure in this unit needs parallelism as a hypothesis.

Worked example

The problem. Two lines \( \ell \) and \( m \) are cut by transversal \( t \). At the intersection with \( \ell \) the angles are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 clockwise starting from the upper left; at the intersection with \( m \), lower down, the angles are numbered 5, 6, 7, 8 the same way. (a) Name the pairs of corresponding angles. (b) Name the pairs of alternate interior angles. (c) Name the pairs of same-side interior angles. (d) If the lines are not parallel, what can be said about any of these pairs?

Step one: establish which angles are interior. The interior region is between \( \ell \) and \( m \). At the upper intersection, the angles below \( \ell \) are interior: those are \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 4 \). At the lower intersection, the angles above \( m \) are interior: \( \angle 5 \) and \( \angle 6 \). So the interior angles are 3, 4, 5, 6, and the exterior angles are 1, 2, 7, 8.

Step two: establish which side of the transversal each is on. With the numbering given, the left-side angles at the upper intersection are \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 4 \), and the right-side ones are \( \angle 2 \) and \( \angle 3 \). At the lower intersection the left-side angles are \( \angle 5 \) and \( \angle 8 \), and the right-side ones are \( \angle 6 \) and \( \angle 7 \).

Step three: find the corresponding pairs in (a). Corresponding means matching position at each intersection: same side of the transversal and the same side of its own line. \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 5 \); \( \angle 2 \) and \( \angle 6 \); \( \angle 4 \) and \( \angle 8 \); \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 7 \). Four pairs, which is always the number, since each of the four positions at one intersection has one match at the other.

Step four: find the alternate interior pairs in (b). Both angles must be interior, so they come from \( \{3, 4, 5, 6\} \), and they must be on opposite sides of the transversal. \( \angle 4 \) is interior and left; \( \angle 6 \) is interior and right. That is one pair. \( \angle 3 \) is interior and right; \( \angle 5 \) is interior and left. That is the other. So the pairs are \( \angle 4 \) with \( \angle 6 \), and \( \angle 3 \) with \( \angle 5 \).

Step five: find the same-side interior pairs in (c). Interior again, but the same side of the transversal. Left side: \( \angle 4 \) and \( \angle 5 \). Right side: \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 6 \).

Step six: cross-check the counting. The four interior angles form \( \dfrac{4 \times 3}{2} = 6 \) pairs in total. Two are alternate interior, two are same-side interior, and the remaining two, \( \angle 3 \) with \( \angle 4 \) and \( \angle 5 \) with \( \angle 6 \), are linear pairs at a single intersection rather than transversal pairs at all. The accounting is complete.

Step seven: answer (d) directly. Nothing. Every name assigned above depends only on position and was assigned without any assumption about the lines. If \( \ell \) and \( m \) are not parallel, \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 5 \) are still corresponding angles and their measures are simply different.

Step eight: state the consequence for proofs. The names are a vocabulary for describing a diagram, not a set of facts about it. Every theorem in lesson 3.2 has "if two parallel lines are cut by a transversal" as its hypothesis, and that hypothesis is doing real work. A proof that uses one of those theorems must have parallelism given or already established, and a proof that concludes parallelism must use the converses of lesson 3.3 instead. Sorting out which direction is in play is the whole difficulty of this unit.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning. Use the numbering from the worked example.

  1. What is a transversal?
    Show the full solution

    A line crossing two or more lines at distinct points

  2. How many angles does a transversal create when crossing two lines?
    Show the full solution

    Eight

  3. Which angles are interior in the worked example's numbering?
    Show the full solution

    \( \angle 3 \), \( \angle 4 \), \( \angle 5 \), \( \angle 6 \)

  4. Name the angle corresponding to \( \angle 2 \).
    Show the full solution

    \( \angle 6 \)

  5. Are corresponding angles always congruent?
    Show the full solution

    Only when the lines are parallel

  6. Classify the pair \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 7 \).
    Show the full solution

    \( \angle 1 \) is exterior, at the upper intersection, on the left. \( \angle 7 \) is exterior, at the lower intersection, on the right. Both exterior, opposite sides of the transversal, different intersections. Alternate exterior angles

  7. Classify the pair \( \angle 4 \) and \( \angle 5 \).
    Show the full solution

    \( \angle 4 \) is interior, upper intersection, left side. \( \angle 5 \) is interior, lower intersection, left side. Both interior, same side of the transversal. Same-side interior angles

  8. Two lines that are not parallel are cut by a transversal, and one pair of corresponding angles measures \( 70^\circ \) and \( 85^\circ \). Is the pair still called corresponding?
    Show the full solution

    Yes. The term describes where the angles sit relative to the two lines and the transversal, and that arrangement is unchanged by the measures. What has changed is that no theorem applies. The corresponding angles postulate has "if two parallel lines are cut by a transversal" as its hypothesis, and that hypothesis fails here, so the postulate says nothing. In fact the measures being unequal proves the lines are not parallel, by the contrapositive of the postulate. That is a legitimate inference and it runs in the opposite direction from the usual one. Yes; the name is positional, and the unequal measures instead prove the lines are not parallel

  9. Explain why every theorem in the next lesson has parallelism in its hypothesis.
    Show the full solution

    Because without it the conclusions are false. Draw two lines crossing a transversal at clearly different angles and every pair in the lesson has unequal measures. Parallelism is the condition that makes the two intersections identical in shape, and that identity is the source of every congruence in lesson 3.2. This is worth stating because the theorems are used so often that students stop reading their hypotheses. A diagram showing a transversal invites the reflex "so those angles are equal," and the reflex is wrong whenever the parallel marks are absent. The practical discipline: before citing any theorem from lesson 3.2, find where the parallelism came from. It is either given, marked on the diagram with arrowheads, or established earlier in the proof. If it is none of these, the theorem cannot be used and something else is needed. Without parallelism the conclusions are simply false, so the hypothesis is doing real work and must be located before the theorem is cited

  10. Two lines are cut by a transversal, and \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 6 \) are same-side interior with \( m\angle 3 = 112^\circ \). What, if anything, follows about \( m\angle 6 \)?
    Show the full solution

    Nothing follows, because the problem never says the lines are parallel. If they were parallel, the same-side interior angles theorem of lesson 3.2 would give \( m\angle 6 = 180 - 112 = 68^\circ \). That is the answer most students write, and it is unjustified here. What can be said without parallelism: \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 4 \) form a linear pair at the upper intersection, so \( m\angle 4 = 68^\circ \) by the linear pair theorem. And \( \angle 3 \) is vertical to \( \angle 1 \), so \( m\angle 1 = 112^\circ \). Every angle at the upper intersection is determined, because those relationships hold at any intersection of two lines. Nothing at the lower intersection is determined, because nothing connects the two intersections. Parallelism is exactly what would supply that connection. Nothing about \( \angle 6 \); the four angles at \( \angle 3 \)'s own intersection are determined, but nothing links the two intersections without parallelism

Lesson 3.2 · Unit 3 · G-CO.9

One postulate, and three theorems proved from it

Parallelism is what connects the two intersections, and one postulate captures that connection. Everything else in this lesson is proved from it using the vertical angle and linear pair results already available, which is worth seeing rather than memorizing as four separate facts.

The method
  1. The corresponding angles postulate: if two parallel lines are cut by a transversal, then corresponding angles are congruent. Accepted without proof.
  2. The alternate interior angles theorem: if two parallel lines are cut by a transversal, then alternate interior angles are congruent.
  3. The alternate exterior angles theorem says the same for exterior pairs.
  4. The same-side interior angles theorem: if two parallel lines are cut by a transversal, then same-side interior angles are supplementary, not congruent.
  5. Three of the four give congruence and one gives supplementarity, and confusing them is the usual arithmetic slip in this topic.
  6. Each theorem is proved the same way: use the postulate to move across to the other intersection, then use vertical angles or a linear pair to move around within one intersection.
  7. All eight angles reduce to two values when the lines are parallel: one measure and its supplement.
  8. Check any answer against that: every angle in the figure should equal either the given measure or \( 180^\circ \) minus it.

Where students lose marks: treating same-side interior angles as congruent. They are supplementary. A quick sanity check catches it: if one is acute the other must be obtuse, since two acute angles cannot sum to \( 180^\circ \).

Worked example

The problem. Lines \( \ell \) and \( m \) are parallel, cut by transversal \( t \), with angles numbered as in lesson 3.1. (a) Prove the alternate interior angles theorem. (b) Prove the same-side interior angles theorem. (c) If \( m\angle 1 = 118^\circ \), find all eight angles.

Step one: set up the proof in (a). Given: \( \ell \parallel m \), cut by transversal \( t \). Prove: \( \angle 3 \cong \angle 5 \), an alternate interior pair. The plan is to get from \( \angle 3 \) to \( \angle 5 \) by way of an angle related to each. \( \angle 3 \) is vertical to \( \angle 1 \), and \( \angle 1 \) corresponds to \( \angle 5 \).

Step two: write the proof of (a). 1. \( \ell \parallel m \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 5 \). Reason: corresponding angles postulate. 3. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 3 \). Reason: vertical angles theorem. 4. \( \angle 3 \cong \angle 5 \). Reason: transitive property of congruence.

Step three: note the shape of the argument. Line 2 crossed from one intersection to the other, which required parallelism. Line 3 moved around within a single intersection, which did not. Every theorem in this lesson is built from exactly those two kinds of move, and only the first one needs the hypothesis.

Step four: set up and prove (b). Prove: \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 6 \) are supplementary, a same-side interior pair. 1. \( \ell \parallel m \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle 3 \cong \angle 5 \). Reason: alternate interior angles theorem, just proved. 3. \( m\angle 3 = m\angle 5 \). Reason: definition of congruent angles.

Step five: finish (b) with a linear pair. 4. \( \angle 5 \) and \( \angle 6 \) form a linear pair. Reason: they are adjacent with non-shared sides forming line \( m \). 5. \( m\angle 5 + m\angle 6 = 180 \). Reason: linear pair theorem and the definition of supplementary angles. 6. \( m\angle 3 + m\angle 6 = 180 \). Reason: substitution property of equality, using line 3. 7. \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 6 \) are supplementary. Reason: definition of supplementary angles. The supplementarity came from the linear pair, not from parallelism, which is why this one theorem gives a different kind of conclusion than the other three.

Step six: begin (c) at the given angle's own intersection. \( m\angle 1 = 118^\circ \). \( \angle 2 \) forms a linear pair with \( \angle 1 \), so \( m\angle 2 = 62^\circ \). \( \angle 3 \) is vertical to \( \angle 1 \), so \( m\angle 3 = 118^\circ \). \( \angle 4 \) is vertical to \( \angle 2 \), so \( m\angle 4 = 62^\circ \).

Step seven: cross to the other intersection. Each angle there corresponds to one at the first intersection, and corresponding angles are congruent by the postulate. \( \angle 5 \) corresponds to \( \angle 1 \), so \( m\angle 5 = 118^\circ \). \( \angle 6 \) corresponds to \( \angle 2 \), so \( m\angle 6 = 62^\circ \). \( \angle 7 \) corresponds to \( \angle 3 \), so \( m\angle 7 = 118^\circ \). \( \angle 8 \) corresponds to \( \angle 4 \), so \( m\angle 8 = 62^\circ \).

Step eight: check the answer three ways. Two values only: every angle is \( 118^\circ \) or \( 62^\circ \), and \( 118 + 62 = 180 \). Correct. Alternate interior: \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 5 \) are both \( 118^\circ \), congruent as the theorem requires. Same-side interior: \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 6 \) are \( 118^\circ \) and \( 62^\circ \), which sum to \( 180^\circ \), supplementary as the theorem requires and not congruent. One obtuse and one acute, as the sanity check predicts.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning. Assume \( \ell \parallel m \) throughout.

  1. Corresponding angles measure \( 73^\circ \) and \( x^\circ \). Find \( x \).
    Show the full solution

    73

  2. Alternate interior angles measure \( 105^\circ \) and \( y^\circ \). Find \( y \).
    Show the full solution

    105

  3. Same-side interior angles measure \( 64^\circ \) and \( z^\circ \). Find \( z \).
    Show the full solution

    They are supplementary, not congruent. 116

  4. Which of the four relationships gives supplementary rather than congruent angles?
    Show the full solution

    Same-side interior angles

  5. How many distinct angle measures appear among the eight angles?
    Show the full solution

    Two, unless the transversal is perpendicular, in which case one

  6. Two alternate exterior angles measure \( (3x + 14)^\circ \) and \( (5x - 26)^\circ \). Find both.
    Show the full solution

    Alternate exterior angles are congruent when the lines are parallel, so their measures are equal: \( 3x + 14 = 5x - 26 \), giving \( 40 = 2x \) and \( x = 20 \). Each measures \( 3(20) + 14 = 74^\circ \), confirmed by the other expression: \( 5(20) - 26 = 74^\circ \). Both \( 74^\circ \)

  7. Two same-side interior angles measure \( (4x)^\circ \) and \( (2x + 30)^\circ \). Find both.
    Show the full solution

    Same-side interior angles are supplementary, so their measures sum to 180: \( 4x + (2x + 30) = 180 \), giving \( 6x = 150 \) and \( x = 25 \). The angles measure \( 4(25) = 100^\circ \) and \( 2(25) + 30 = 80^\circ \). Check: \( 100 + 80 = 180 \). Correct, and one is obtuse while the other is acute, as supplementary angles must be unless both are right. The trap here is setting the expressions equal, which would give \( x = 15 \) and two angles of \( 60^\circ \). Those are not supplementary, and the check catches it. \( 100^\circ \) and \( 80^\circ \)

  8. Prove the alternate exterior angles theorem.
    Show the full solution

    Given: \( \ell \parallel m \) cut by transversal \( t \). Prove: \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 7 \), an alternate exterior pair. 1. \( \ell \parallel m \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 5 \). Reason: corresponding angles postulate. 3. \( \angle 5 \cong \angle 7 \). Reason: vertical angles theorem. 4. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 7 \). Reason: transitive property of congruence. The structure is identical to the alternate interior proof: one move across using parallelism, one move around using vertical angles, then transitivity. Proved in four lines

  9. A transversal is perpendicular to one of two parallel lines. Prove it is perpendicular to the other.
    Show the full solution

    Given: \( \ell \parallel m \), transversal \( t \perp \ell \). Prove: \( t \perp m \). 1. \( \ell \parallel m \) and \( t \perp \ell \). Reason: given. 2. \( t \) and \( \ell \) form a right angle, call it \( \angle 1 \). Reason: definition of perpendicular lines. 3. \( m\angle 1 = 90 \). Reason: definition of a right angle. 4. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 5 \), where \( \angle 5 \) is the corresponding angle at \( m \). Reason: corresponding angles postulate. 5. \( m\angle 5 = 90 \). Reason: definition of congruent angles and substitution. 6. \( \angle 5 \) is a right angle. Reason: definition of a right angle. 7. \( t \perp m \). Reason: definition of perpendicular lines. This is the perpendicular transversal theorem, which lesson 3.4 will cite by name. It is also a good illustration of a definition being used in both directions: line 2 uses it forward and line 7 uses it backward. Proved in seven lines

  10. Three parallel lines are cut by a transversal. One angle at the top intersection measures \( 47^\circ \). Determine every angle in the figure and explain why only two values occur.
    Show the full solution

    Three lines cut by a transversal give three intersections and twelve angles. At the top intersection. The given angle is \( 47^\circ \). Its linear pair partner is \( 180 - 47 = 133^\circ \). Its vertical angle is \( 47^\circ \), and the fourth is \( 133^\circ \). At the other intersections. Each of the four angles at the middle and bottom intersections corresponds to one at the top, since all three lines are parallel. By the corresponding angles postulate, each measures the same as its partner, so each intersection repeats the same pattern: two angles of \( 47^\circ \) and two of \( 133^\circ \). All twelve angles: six measure \( 47^\circ \) and six measure \( 133^\circ \). Why only two values. At any single intersection of two lines, only two values occur, because vertical angles are congruent and linear pairs are supplementary. Parallelism then forces every intersection to repeat the same pair, since corresponding angles are congruent. So the transversal meets every parallel line at the same pair of angles, however many lines there are. The check: \( 47 + 133 = 180 \), so the two values are supplementary, which is required for them to appear as a linear pair. Six angles of \( 47^\circ \) and six of \( 133^\circ \); parallelism makes every intersection identical

Lesson 3.3 · Unit 3 · G-CO.9

The same four facts, run in the opposite direction

Lesson 3.2 assumed parallelism and concluded things about angles. This lesson assumes things about angles and concludes parallelism. These are converses, they are separate theorems, and keeping track of which one a proof needs is the single most important habit in this unit.

The method
  1. The converse of the corresponding angles postulate: if two lines cut by a transversal have congruent corresponding angles, then the lines are parallel.
  2. The converse of the alternate interior angles theorem: congruent alternate interior angles give parallel lines.
  3. The converse of the alternate exterior angles theorem works the same way.
  4. The converse of the same-side interior angles theorem: supplementary same-side interior angles give parallel lines.
  5. Decide direction before choosing a theorem. Is parallelism given, or is it the goal? Given means lesson 3.2; goal means this lesson.
  6. To prove lines parallel, find one qualifying angle pair. Any one of the four converses is enough, and finding the easiest pair is the whole skill.
  7. An angle pair may need building first, using vertical angles or a linear pair to convert a given into the pair a converse can use.
  8. Name the converse explicitly in the reason column, as "converse of the alternate interior angles theorem," so the direction is visible.

Where students lose marks: citing the forward theorem when proving parallelism. That is circular: it assumes the lines are parallel in order to conclude that they are. The reason column must say "converse," and a proof that does not is marked wrong even when the answer is right.

Worked example

The problem. Lines \( \ell \) and \( m \) are cut by transversal \( t \), with angles numbered as in lesson 3.1. (a) Given \( \angle 3 \cong \angle 5 \), prove \( \ell \parallel m \). (b) Given \( m\angle 4 = 115^\circ \) and \( m\angle 5 = 65^\circ \), prove \( \ell \parallel m \). (c) Given \( \angle 2 \cong \angle 7 \), prove \( \ell \parallel m \).

Step one: identify the pair in (a). From lesson 3.1, \( \angle 3 \) and \( \angle 5 \) are alternate interior angles. They are given congruent, and the goal is parallelism, so the direction is from angles to lines.

Step two: write the proof of (a). 1. \( \angle 3 \cong \angle 5 \). Reason: given. 2. \( \ell \parallel m \). Reason: converse of the alternate interior angles theorem. Two lines, because the given is exactly the hypothesis of the converse. Most proofs in this lesson are this short once the right pair is identified.

Step three: identify the pair in (b). \( \angle 4 \) and \( \angle 5 \) are same-side interior angles. They are not congruent, so the alternate interior converse does not apply. But \( 115 + 65 = 180 \), so they are supplementary, which is what the same-side interior converse requires.

Step four: write the proof of (b). 1. \( m\angle 4 = 115 \) and \( m\angle 5 = 65 \). Reason: given. 2. \( m\angle 4 + m\angle 5 = 180 \). Reason: substitution and addition. 3. \( \angle 4 \) and \( \angle 5 \) are supplementary. Reason: definition of supplementary angles. 4. \( \ell \parallel m \). Reason: converse of the same-side interior angles theorem.

Step five: identify the pair in (c) and notice the difficulty. \( \angle 2 \) is exterior at the upper intersection on the right; \( \angle 7 \) is exterior at the lower intersection on the right. Same side of the transversal, both exterior. That is not one of the four named pairs, so no converse applies directly.

Step six: build a usable pair. \( \angle 7 \) is vertical to \( \angle 5 \), so \( \angle 7 \cong \angle 5 \) by the vertical angles theorem. And \( \angle 2 \) with \( \angle 5 \) is not a named pair either. Try the other side: \( \angle 2 \) is vertical to \( \angle 4 \), so \( \angle 2 \cong \angle 4 \). Now \( \angle 4 \) and \( \angle 7 \)? Still not named. Take a different route: \( \angle 2 \) corresponds to \( \angle 6 \), and \( \angle 6 \) is vertical to \( \angle 8 \). So relate \( \angle 7 \) to \( \angle 2 \) through \( \angle 3 \): \( \angle 2 \) and \( \angle 3 \) form a linear pair.

Step seven: write the proof of (c) along the shortest route found. 1. \( \angle 2 \cong \angle 7 \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle 7 \cong \angle 5 \). Reason: vertical angles theorem. 3. \( \angle 2 \cong \angle 5 \). Reason: transitive property of congruence. 4. \( \angle 2 \cong \angle 4 \). Reason: vertical angles theorem. 5. \( \angle 4 \cong \angle 5 \). Reason: transitive property of congruence, using lines 3 and 4. 6. \( \angle 4 \) and \( \angle 5 \) are same-side interior angles, and congruent. Being congruent and needing to be supplementary for parallelism, each measures \( 90^\circ \). That route has gone wrong: congruent same-side interior angles do not give parallelism unless they are also supplementary.

Step eight: find the correct route and state the lesson. Return to line 3: \( \angle 2 \cong \angle 5 \). Now \( \angle 5 \) is vertical to \( \angle 7 \), which is where we started, so that loop is useless. Instead use line 1 with \( \angle 7 \cong \angle 3 \)? Check: \( \angle 3 \) is interior right at the upper intersection, \( \angle 7 \) is exterior right at the lower. Those are corresponding angles, since both sit on the right of the transversal on the far side of their own line. So: 1. \( \angle 2 \cong \angle 7 \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle 2 \cong \angle 4 \). Reason: vertical angles theorem. 3. \( \angle 4 \cong \angle 7 \). Reason: transitive property of congruence. 4. \( \angle 4 \) and \( \angle 7 \) are alternate exterior and interior on opposite sides, so use \( \angle 8 \): \( \angle 7 \cong \angle 5 \) by vertical angles, and \( \angle 4 \) with \( \angle 5 \) is same-side interior. The honest conclusion is that \( \angle 2 \cong \angle 7 \) does not by itself prove parallelism: these are same-side exterior angles, and for parallel lines they would be supplementary rather than congruent. Congruent same-side exterior angles occur exactly when each measures \( 90^\circ \), so the given is consistent with parallel lines only in the perpendicular case and does not establish parallelism in general. That is the real lesson of part (c): identify the pair first, and if it is a same-side pair then supplementarity, not congruence, is the condition to look for.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Congruent corresponding angles prove what?
    Show the full solution

    The lines are parallel

  2. What condition on same-side interior angles proves lines parallel?
    Show the full solution

    They are supplementary

  3. Alternate interior angles measure \( 58^\circ \) and \( 58^\circ \). Are the lines parallel?
    Show the full solution

    By the converse of the alternate interior angles theorem. Yes

  4. Same-side interior angles measure \( 70^\circ \) and \( 100^\circ \). Are the lines parallel?
    Show the full solution

    They sum to \( 170^\circ \), not \( 180^\circ \). No

  5. What word must appear in the reason when proving lines parallel from angles?
    Show the full solution

    Converse

  6. Alternate exterior angles measure \( (2x + 15)^\circ \) and \( (4x - 25)^\circ \). Find the \( x \) that makes the lines parallel.
    Show the full solution

    Alternate exterior angles are congruent exactly when the lines are parallel, by the theorem and its converse. So set them equal: \( 2x + 15 = 4x - 25 \), giving \( 40 = 2x \) and \( x = 20 \). Each angle then measures \( 2(20) + 15 = 55^\circ \), confirmed by \( 4(20) - 25 = 55^\circ \). \( x = 20 \), with both angles \( 55^\circ \)

  7. Same-side interior angles measure \( (3x + 20)^\circ \) and \( (5x - 40)^\circ \). Find the \( x \) that makes the lines parallel.
    Show the full solution

    Same-side interior angles are supplementary exactly when the lines are parallel, so their measures must sum to 180: \( (3x + 20) + (5x - 40) = 180 \), giving \( 8x - 20 = 180 \), so \( 8x = 200 \) and \( x = 25 \). The angles measure \( 3(25) + 20 = 95^\circ \) and \( 5(25) - 40 = 85^\circ \). Check: \( 95 + 85 = 180 \). Correct. The trap is setting them equal, which gives \( x = 30 \) and two angles of \( 110^\circ \). Those sum to \( 220^\circ \), so the lines would not be parallel. The check catches it. \( x = 25 \)

  8. Explain why using the alternate interior angles theorem to prove lines parallel is circular.
    Show the full solution

    The theorem states: if two parallel lines are cut by a transversal, then alternate interior angles are congruent. Parallelism is its hypothesis. A proof aiming to establish parallelism cannot cite a theorem that assumes parallelism, because the hypothesis is precisely what is not yet available. Doing so assumes the conclusion, which is the second of the four errors this course names. What is needed instead is the converse, proved separately: if alternate interior angles are congruent, then the lines are parallel. Its hypothesis is the congruence, which the problem supplies, and its conclusion is the parallelism, which is wanted. Both statements are true here, which is exactly what makes the error easy to commit and hard to notice. A student who thinks of them as one fact will write the wrong reason and reach the right answer, and will have no defense when a theorem's converse turns out to be false. The theorem takes parallelism as its hypothesis, so citing it assumes what is being proved; the converse is the theorem needed

  9. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 7 \), alternate exterior angles. Prove \( \ell \parallel m \) two different ways.
    Show the full solution

    Route one, directly. 1. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 7 \). Reason: given. 2. \( \ell \parallel m \). Reason: converse of the alternate exterior angles theorem. Route two, through corresponding angles. 1. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 7 \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle 7 \cong \angle 5 \). Reason: vertical angles theorem. 3. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 5 \). Reason: transitive property of congruence. 4. \( \ell \parallel m \). Reason: converse of the corresponding angles postulate, since \( \angle 1 \) and \( \angle 5 \) are corresponding. Both are valid. The first is shorter because it uses a theorem tailored to the given pair; the second shows that all four converses are really one fact reached by different routes. Either earns full marks. Proved, directly in two lines or through corresponding angles in four

  10. In a figure, \( \ell \parallel m \) and \( m \parallel n \). Prove \( \ell \parallel n \), and explain why this needs a proof at all.
    Show the full solution

    Given: \( \ell \parallel m \) and \( m \parallel n \), all cut by a transversal \( t \). Prove: \( \ell \parallel n \). 1. \( \ell \parallel m \) and \( m \parallel n \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 2 \), where \( \angle 1 \) is at \( \ell \) and \( \angle 2 \) is the corresponding angle at \( m \). Reason: corresponding angles postulate. 3. \( \angle 2 \cong \angle 3 \), where \( \angle 3 \) is the corresponding angle at \( n \). Reason: corresponding angles postulate. 4. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 3 \). Reason: transitive property of congruence. 5. \( \ell \parallel n \). Reason: converse of the corresponding angles postulate. Why it needs proving. The result is obvious enough that it is easy to assume, but "parallel" is defined as never meeting, and nothing in that definition immediately gives transitivity. Two lines each failing to meet a third could in principle meet each other; that is what happens with the analogous statement for perpendicularity, where two lines perpendicular to the same line are parallel rather than perpendicular to each other. The proof also illustrates the pattern of this unit: the forward direction is used twice to extract angle facts, and the converse is used once at the end to convert those facts back into parallelism. Both directions appear in one proof, and the reason column is what keeps them apart. Proved in five lines; transitivity of parallelism does not follow from the definition alone and the analogous claim for perpendicularity is false

Lesson 3.4 · Unit 3 · G-CO.9

Right angles as a bridge between perpendicularity and parallelism

Perpendicularity and parallelism look like opposites, and two theorems connect them. Both work the same way: a right angle at one line is transported to the other by the results of lesson 3.2, and the definition of perpendicular converts it back.

The method
  1. Perpendicular means meeting at a right angle, and establishing one right angle is enough, since all four are then right.
  2. The perpendicular transversal theorem: if a transversal is perpendicular to one of two parallel lines, it is perpendicular to the other.
  3. The two-perpendiculars theorem: if two lines are each perpendicular to the same line, then they are parallel to each other.
  4. The second is a converse-style result, and it is proved using a converse from lesson 3.3.
  5. Both proofs run through right angles: establish one, transport it, and convert back with the definition.
  6. All right angles are congruent, proved in lesson 2.6, which is what makes the transport step work.
  7. Perpendicularity is not transitive. Two lines perpendicular to the same line are parallel, not perpendicular, which is the opposite of what the word suggests.
  8. Check a perpendicularity claim by finding the right angle, rather than by how the diagram is drawn.

Where students lose marks: assuming perpendicularity behaves like parallelism. Parallelism is transitive: \( a \parallel b \) and \( b \parallel c \) give \( a \parallel c \). Perpendicularity is not: \( a \perp b \) and \( b \perp c \) give \( a \parallel c \).

Worked example

The problem. (a) Prove that if two lines are each perpendicular to the same line, they are parallel to each other. (b) Explain why perpendicularity is not transitive, with a concrete picture. (c) In a figure, \( a \perp b \), \( b \parallel c \), and \( c \perp d \). What is the relationship between \( a \) and \( d \)?

Step one: set up (a). Given: \( \ell \perp t \) and \( m \perp t \). Prove: \( \ell \parallel m \). Here \( t \) plays the role of the transversal, since it crosses both \( \ell \) and \( m \).

Step two: extract the right angles. 1. \( \ell \perp t \) and \( m \perp t \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle 1 \), formed by \( \ell \) and \( t \), is a right angle. Reason: definition of perpendicular lines. 3. \( \angle 5 \), the corresponding angle formed by \( m \) and \( t \), is a right angle. Reason: definition of perpendicular lines.

Step three: make them congruent. 4. \( \angle 1 \cong \angle 5 \). Reason: right angle congruence theorem, proved in lesson 2.6. This is why that short theorem was worth proving: without it, line 4 would need three lines of its own every time it is needed.

Step four: conclude parallelism. 5. \( \ell \parallel m \). Reason: converse of the corresponding angles postulate. The converse, not the postulate, because parallelism is the goal rather than the given.

Step five: answer (b) by picturing it. Take \( b \) to be a horizontal line. A line perpendicular to it must be vertical, so \( a \) is vertical. Any other line perpendicular to \( b \) must also be vertical, so \( c \) is vertical too. Two vertical lines are parallel, not perpendicular. So \( a \perp b \) and \( b \perp c \) give \( a \parallel c \), exactly as part (a) proved.

Step six: state why the contrast matters. Parallelism is transitive and perpendicularity is not, and the words give no hint of this. A student who reasons by analogy from "parallel to the same line means parallel to each other" to "perpendicular to the same line means perpendicular to each other" gets it exactly backward. The theorems have to be known rather than guessed.

Step seven: work through (c) one relationship at a time. From \( a \perp b \) and \( b \parallel c \): the perpendicular transversal theorem gives \( a \perp c \). From \( a \perp c \) and \( c \perp d \): part (a) gives \( a \parallel d \).

Step eight: check the answer with coordinates. Let \( b \) be the line \( y = 0 \). Then \( a \) is vertical, say \( x = 0 \). Since \( c \parallel b \), \( c \) is horizontal, say \( y = 3 \). Since \( d \perp c \), \( d \) is vertical, say \( x = 5 \). And \( a \) is \( x = 0 \) while \( d \) is \( x = 5 \): both vertical, so parallel. The chain of theorems and the concrete picture agree, which is the kind of check worth running whenever a relationship-chaining problem produces a surprising answer. \( a \parallel d \)

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. If \( t \perp \ell \) and \( \ell \parallel m \), what follows about \( t \) and \( m \)?
    Show the full solution

    \( t \perp m \), by the perpendicular transversal theorem

  2. If \( a \perp c \) and \( b \perp c \), what follows about \( a \) and \( b \)?
    Show the full solution

    \( a \parallel b \)

  3. Is perpendicularity transitive?
    Show the full solution

    No

  4. Is parallelism transitive?
    Show the full solution

    Yes

  5. Two perpendicular lines meet. What is the measure of each of the four angles?
    Show the full solution

    \( 90^\circ \)

  6. Given \( \ell \parallel m \) and \( t \perp \ell \), find every angle in the figure.
    Show the full solution

    Since \( t \perp \ell \), all four angles at the \( \ell \) intersection are right angles, measuring \( 90^\circ \) each, by the definition of perpendicular lines and the fact that one right angle forces all four. By the perpendicular transversal theorem, \( t \perp m \) as well, so all four angles at the \( m \) intersection measure \( 90^\circ \). All eight angles measure \( 90^\circ \). This is the exceptional case noted in lesson 3.2: normally two distinct values appear among the eight angles, but when the transversal is perpendicular, the two values coincide because \( 180 - 90 = 90 \). All eight measure \( 90^\circ \)

  7. In a figure, \( p \perp q \) and \( q \perp r \) and \( r \perp s \). Find the relationship between \( p \) and \( s \).
    Show the full solution

    Work along the chain one step at a time. From \( p \perp q \) and \( q \perp r \): the two lines perpendicular to \( q \) are parallel, so \( p \parallel r \). From \( p \parallel r \) and \( r \perp s \): the perpendicular transversal theorem gives \( p \perp s \), since \( s \) is perpendicular to one of two parallel lines. Coordinate check: let \( q \) be \( y = 0 \), so \( p \) is vertical, say \( x = 0 \). Then \( r \perp q \) makes \( r \) vertical, say \( x = 4 \). Then \( s \perp r \) makes \( s \) horizontal, say \( y = 7 \). And \( x = 0 \) is perpendicular to \( y = 7 \). Confirmed. The pattern is worth noticing: each perpendicular flips between two directions, so an even number of them returns to the start and an odd number does not. Three perpendiculars give perpendicular; two give parallel. \( p \perp s \)

  8. Explain why establishing one right angle is enough to prove two lines perpendicular.
    Show the full solution

    Two intersecting lines form four angles, and they are not independent. Suppose one of them, \( \angle 1 \), is a right angle, so \( m\angle 1 = 90 \). The angle adjacent to it forms a linear pair with it, so the two are supplementary by the linear pair theorem, giving the adjacent angle a measure of \( 180 - 90 = 90 \). The same argument applies to the other adjacent angle. The fourth angle is vertical to \( \angle 1 \), so it is congruent to it by the vertical angles theorem and also measures \( 90 \). So all four are right angles as soon as one is. The definition of perpendicular only asks that the lines meet at a right angle, and a proof therefore needs to establish exactly one. This is a small efficiency with a large effect on proof length, since the alternative would be four separate arguments every time perpendicularity is claimed. A linear pair and a vertical angle force the other three to be right as soon as one is

  9. Prove the perpendicular transversal theorem using alternate interior angles rather than corresponding angles.
    Show the full solution

    Given: \( \ell \parallel m \), \( t \perp \ell \). Prove: \( t \perp m \). 1. \( \ell \parallel m \) and \( t \perp \ell \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle 3 \), an interior angle at \( \ell \), is a right angle. Reason: definition of perpendicular lines, using the fact that all four angles at that intersection are right. 3. \( \angle 3 \cong \angle 5 \), the alternate interior angle at \( m \). Reason: alternate interior angles theorem. 4. \( m\angle 3 = m\angle 5 \). Reason: definition of congruent angles. 5. \( m\angle 3 = 90 \). Reason: definition of a right angle. 6. \( m\angle 5 = 90 \). Reason: substitution property of equality. 7. \( \angle 5 \) is a right angle. Reason: definition of a right angle. 8. \( t \perp m \). Reason: definition of perpendicular lines. The route through alternate interior angles is one line longer than the corresponding angles route, because the interior angle at \( \ell \) has to be identified as right first. Both are valid; when a question does not specify, choose the shorter. Proved in eight lines

  10. Lines \( a \) and \( b \) are both perpendicular to \( c \), and \( a \) passes through \( (0, 0) \) while \( b \) passes through \( (0, 5) \). Line \( c \) has slope 2. Find the equations of \( a \) and \( b \), and confirm they are parallel.
    Show the full solution

    Since \( a \perp c \) and \( c \) has slope 2, the slope of \( a \) is the negative reciprocal, \( -\dfrac{1}{2} \). The same reasoning gives \( b \) the same slope. \( a \) passes through the origin, so \( a: y = -\dfrac{1}{2}x \). \( b \) passes through \( (0, 5) \), so \( b: y = -\dfrac{1}{2}x + 5 \). They have equal slopes and different intercepts, so they are distinct parallel lines, which is exactly what the two-perpendiculars theorem predicted. Check the perpendicularity: \( 2 \times \left(-\dfrac{1}{2}\right) = -1 \), so each is genuinely perpendicular to \( c \). This is the coordinate version of the theorem, and it shows why the theorem is true in a second way: perpendicularity to a line of slope \( m \) forces the slope \( -\dfrac{1}{m} \), and any two lines forced to the same slope are parallel. Lesson 3.5 develops that connection properly. \( a: y = -\frac{1}{2}x \) and \( b: y = -\frac{1}{2}x + 5 \), parallel because both slopes are \( -\frac{1}{2} \)

Lesson 3.5 · Unit 3 · G-GPE.5

The coordinate test for a relationship the proofs established

On the coordinate plane, parallelism and perpendicularity become arithmetic. Two numbers settle a question that otherwise needs a proof, which is why coordinate geometry is worth having: it converts a geometric claim into a calculation that either works or does not.

The method
  1. Two distinct non-vertical lines are parallel exactly when their slopes are equal.
  2. Two lines are perpendicular exactly when the product of their slopes is \( -1 \), equivalently when each slope is the negative reciprocal of the other.
  3. Find the slope from two points with \( m = \dfrac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \), keeping the order consistent in both.
  4. Rearrange to slope-intercept form before comparing lines given in standard form.
  5. Equal slopes with equal intercepts means the same line, not two parallel lines, which is a distinction a classification problem cares about.
  6. Vertical lines have undefined slope and are parallel to each other; the product test cannot be applied to them.
  7. A vertical and a horizontal line are perpendicular, although their slopes are undefined and zero, so the product rule says nothing.
  8. Compute both slopes before deciding, and state which test was applied and what it gave.

Where students lose marks: taking the reciprocal without changing the sign. The perpendicular to a line of slope \( \frac{2}{3} \) has slope \( -\frac{3}{2} \), not \( \frac{3}{2} \). Multiplying the two candidates and checking for \( -1 \) catches this immediately.

Worked example

The problem. Line \( a \) passes through \( (2, 3) \) and \( (6, 11) \). Line \( b \) passes through \( (0, 1) \) and \( (4, 9) \). Line \( c \) is \( x + 2y = 8 \). Line \( d \) is \( 4x - 2y = 6 \). Classify every pair as parallel, perpendicular or neither.

Step one: find the slope of \( a \). \( m_a = \dfrac{11 - 3}{6 - 2} = \dfrac{8}{4} = 2 \).

Step two: find the slope of \( b \). \( m_b = \dfrac{9 - 1}{4 - 0} = \dfrac{8}{4} = 2 \).

Step three: rearrange \( c \) and read its slope. \( x + 2y = 8 \) gives \( 2y = -x + 8 \), so \( y = -\dfrac{1}{2}x + 4 \) and \( m_c = -\dfrac{1}{2} \).

Step four: rearrange \( d \). \( 4x - 2y = 6 \) gives \( -2y = -4x + 6 \), so \( y = 2x - 3 \) and \( m_d = 2 \). Dividing by \( -2 \) changed both signs, which is the step to watch.

Step five: compare \( a \) with \( b \). Both have slope 2, so they are parallel provided they are not the same line. Check by testing a point: \( (0,1) \) is on \( b \). Is it on \( a \)? Line \( a \) through \( (2,3) \) with slope 2 is \( y - 3 = 2(x - 2) \), so \( y = 2x - 1 \), and at \( x = 0 \) that gives \( y = -1 \), not 1. Different lines, so \( a \parallel b \).

Step six: compare \( a \) with \( c \), and \( b \) with \( c \). \( m_a \times m_c = 2 \times \left(-\dfrac{1}{2}\right) = -1 \), so \( a \perp c \). \( m_b \times m_c = -1 \) likewise, so \( b \perp c \). This is consistent with the theorem of lesson 3.4: \( a \) and \( b \) are both perpendicular to \( c \), so they must be parallel, which step five confirmed independently.

Step seven: compare \( a \) with \( d \), \( b \) with \( d \), and \( c \) with \( d \). \( m_a = m_d = 2 \), but \( a \) is \( y = 2x - 1 \) and \( d \) is \( y = 2x - 3 \), which have different intercepts, so \( a \parallel d \). \( m_b = m_d = 2 \) and \( b \) is \( y = 2x + 1 \), so \( b \parallel d \). \( m_c \times m_d = -1 \), so \( c \perp d \).

Step eight: summarize and check for consistency. \( a \parallel b \), \( a \parallel d \), \( b \parallel d \): three lines all of slope 2, mutually parallel, consistent with transitivity. \( c \) is perpendicular to each of \( a \), \( b \) and \( d \), consistent with the perpendicular transversal theorem applied to a family of parallel lines. No pair is "neither." The whole configuration is one family of parallel lines and one line crossing them all at right angles, which the slopes, \( 2 \) and \( -\frac{1}{2} \), say immediately.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What slope is parallel to a line of slope \( -4 \)?
    Show the full solution

    \( -4 \)

  2. What slope is perpendicular to a line of slope \( -4 \)?
    Show the full solution

    The negative reciprocal. \( \frac{1}{4} \)

  3. Are \( y = 3x + 1 \) and \( y = 3x - 7 \) parallel?
    Show the full solution

    Equal slopes, different intercepts. Yes

  4. Are \( y = \frac{2}{3}x \) and \( y = -\frac{3}{2}x + 4 \) perpendicular?
    Show the full solution

    \( \frac{2}{3} \times \left(-\frac{3}{2}\right) = -1 \). Yes

  5. What is the slope of a vertical line?
    Show the full solution

    Undefined

  6. Classify \( 3x + y = 7 \) and \( x - 3y = 9 \).
    Show the full solution

    First: \( y = -3x + 7 \), so the slope is \( -3 \). Second: \( -3y = -x + 9 \), so \( y = \dfrac{1}{3}x - 3 \) and the slope is \( \dfrac{1}{3} \). Product: \( -3 \times \dfrac{1}{3} = -1 \). Perpendicular

  7. Classify \( 2x - 5y = 10 \) and \( 4x - 10y = 3 \).
    Show the full solution

    First: \( -5y = -2x + 10 \), so \( y = \dfrac{2}{5}x - 2 \), slope \( \dfrac{2}{5} \). Second: \( -10y = -4x + 3 \), so \( y = \dfrac{2}{5}x - \dfrac{3}{10} \), slope \( \dfrac{2}{5} \). Equal slopes. Different intercepts, \( -2 \) against \( -0.3 \), so they are distinct lines rather than the same one. Parallel

  8. A quadrilateral has vertices \( A(0,0) \), \( B(4,2) \), \( C(6,6) \), \( D(2,4) \). Show that \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DC} \) and \( \overline{AD} \parallel \overline{BC} \).
    Show the full solution

    Slope of \( \overline{AB} \): \( \dfrac{2 - 0}{4 - 0} = \dfrac{1}{2} \). Slope of \( \overline{DC} \): \( \dfrac{6 - 4}{6 - 2} = \dfrac{2}{4} = \dfrac{1}{2} \). Equal, so \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DC} \). Slope of \( \overline{AD} \): \( \dfrac{4 - 0}{2 - 0} = 2 \). Slope of \( \overline{BC} \): \( \dfrac{6 - 2}{6 - 4} = \dfrac{4}{2} = 2 \). Equal, so \( \overline{AD} \parallel \overline{BC} \). Both pairs of opposite sides are parallel, so \( ABCD \) is a parallelogram by definition. This is the coordinate method that unit 7 develops fully. Note also that \( \frac{1}{2} \times 2 = 1 \), not \( -1 \), so adjacent sides are not perpendicular and the figure is not a rectangle. Both pairs of opposite sides have equal slopes, so the figure is a parallelogram

  9. Explain why the product of perpendicular slopes is \( -1 \), and why a vertical and horizontal pair is an exception.
    Show the full solution

    Take a line of slope \( m = \dfrac{a}{b} \), meaning it rises \( a \) for a run of \( b \). Draw the right triangle with legs \( b \) horizontal and \( a \) vertical along this line. Rotating that triangle a quarter turn about the point where the lines meet produces a triangle whose horizontal leg is \( a \) and whose vertical leg is \( b \), with the direction reversed. The rotated line has slope \( -\dfrac{b}{a} \). Rotating by a quarter turn is exactly what makes the lines perpendicular. So the perpendicular slope is \( -\dfrac{b}{a} \), and the product is \( \dfrac{a}{b} \times \left(-\dfrac{b}{a}\right) = -1 \). The exception. The argument assumed both \( a \) and \( b \) are nonzero. A horizontal line has \( a = 0 \), giving slope 0, and its perpendicular would need slope \( -\dfrac{b}{0} \), which is undefined, and indeed a vertical line has undefined slope. The product \( 0 \times \text{undefined} \) is not a number, so the test cannot be applied even though the lines are genuinely perpendicular. This is why the rule is always stated for non-vertical, non-horizontal lines, and why a classification problem should check for a vertical line before reaching for the product test. A quarter-turn rotation swaps rise and run and reverses one sign; the rule fails when a slope is 0 or undefined because the product is not a number

  10. Triangle \( PQR \) has vertices \( P(1,1) \), \( Q(5,3) \), \( R(3,7) \). Determine whether it has a right angle.
    Show the full solution

    A right angle at a vertex means the two sides meeting there are perpendicular, so compute all three slopes and test each pair. Slope of \( \overline{PQ} \): \( \dfrac{3-1}{5-1} = \dfrac{2}{4} = \dfrac{1}{2} \). Slope of \( \overline{QR} \): \( \dfrac{7-3}{3-5} = \dfrac{4}{-2} = -2 \). Slope of \( \overline{PR} \): \( \dfrac{7-1}{3-1} = \dfrac{6}{2} = 3 \). At \( Q \), the sides are \( \overline{PQ} \) and \( \overline{QR} \): \( \dfrac{1}{2} \times (-2) = -1 \). Perpendicular, so \( \angle Q \) is a right angle. Checking the others for completeness. At \( P \): \( \dfrac{1}{2} \times 3 = \dfrac{3}{2} \), not \( -1 \). At \( R \): \( -2 \times 3 = -6 \), not \( -1 \). So exactly one right angle, at \( Q \), and the triangle is right. A second check by lengths: \( PQ = \sqrt{16 + 4} = \sqrt{20} \), \( QR = \sqrt{4 + 16} = \sqrt{20} \), \( PR = \sqrt{4 + 36} = \sqrt{40} \). Then \( PQ^2 + QR^2 = 20 + 20 = 40 = PR^2 \), which is the converse of the Pythagorean theorem confirming a right angle at \( Q \). The two legs are also equal, so the triangle is right isosceles. Yes, a right angle at \( Q \), confirmed by both the slope test and the Pythagorean converse

Lesson 3.6 · Unit 3 · G-GPE.5

A slope from a relationship, a point from the question

Every problem in this lesson has the same shape. The relationship supplies a slope, the question supplies a point, and point-slope form turns the two into an equation. Recognizing that shape makes the whole lesson one procedure rather than several.

The method
  1. Find the slope of the reference line first, rearranging into slope-intercept form if it is given in standard form.
  2. Convert it according to the relationship: the same slope for parallel, the negative reciprocal for perpendicular.
  3. Use point-slope form: \( y - y_1 = m(x - x_1) \), with the point the question supplies.
  4. Watch the sign when the coordinate is negative, since \( x - (-3) \) is \( x + 3 \).
  5. Rearrange to whatever form is asked for, and if none is specified, any correct form is acceptable.
  6. Check that the point satisfies the answer by substituting it back.
  7. Check that the slope is right by comparing with the reference line again.
  8. A horizontal reference line gives a vertical answer for perpendicular, written \( x = c \), which point-slope form cannot produce.

Where students lose marks: forgetting to change the sign when dividing by a negative during the rearrangement. From \( 2x - 3y = 12 \), the step \( -3y = -2x + 12 \) divided by \( -3 \) gives \( y = \frac{2}{3}x - 4 \). Both signs changed, and missing one gives the wrong slope and a wrong answer that still looks plausible.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Write the equation of the line through \( (2, 5) \) parallel to \( y = 3x - 4 \). (b) Write the equation of the line through \( (4, -1) \) perpendicular to \( 2x + 3y = 12 \). (c) Write the equation of the line through \( (-3, 6) \) perpendicular to \( y = 2 \).

Step one: find the slope for (a). The reference line is already in slope-intercept form, so its slope is 3. Parallel means the same slope, so the answer has slope 3.

Step two: apply point-slope form and simplify. \( y - 5 = 3(x - 2) \), so \( y - 5 = 3x - 6 \) and \( y = 3x - 1 \).

Step three: check (a) both ways. Point: at \( x = 2 \), \( y = 6 - 1 = 5 \). The point is on the line. Slope: 3, matching the reference line, and the intercepts differ, \( -1 \) against \( -4 \), so the lines are genuinely parallel rather than identical.

Step four: find the slope for (b). Rearrange the reference line: \( 2x + 3y = 12 \) gives \( 3y = -2x + 12 \), so \( y = -\dfrac{2}{3}x + 4 \) and the slope is \( -\dfrac{2}{3} \). Perpendicular means the negative reciprocal: flip to \( -\dfrac{3}{2} \) and change the sign to \( \dfrac{3}{2} \). Check: \( -\dfrac{2}{3} \times \dfrac{3}{2} = -1 \). Correct.

Step five: apply point-slope form for (b), watching the negative coordinate. The point is \( (4, -1) \), so \( y - (-1) \) becomes \( y + 1 \): \[ y + 1 = \frac{3}{2}(x - 4) \] Expanding: \( y + 1 = \dfrac{3}{2}x - 6 \), so \( y = \dfrac{3}{2}x - 7 \).

Step six: check (b). Point: at \( x = 4 \), \( y = 6 - 7 = -1 \). Correct. Slope: \( \dfrac{3}{2} \), and \( \dfrac{3}{2} \times \left(-\dfrac{2}{3}\right) = -1 \), so the lines are perpendicular.

Step seven: recognize the special case in (c). The reference line \( y = 2 \) is horizontal, with slope 0. Its negative reciprocal would be \( -\dfrac{1}{0} \), which is undefined, so point-slope form cannot be used.

Step eight: answer (c) geometrically. A line perpendicular to a horizontal line is vertical. A vertical line through \( (-3, 6) \) consists of every point with \( x = -3 \), so its equation is \( x = -3 \). Check: the point \( (-3, 6) \) has \( x = -3 \), so it lies on the line. And a vertical line meets a horizontal line at a right angle, so they are perpendicular. This case has to be recognized rather than computed, which is why the method lists it separately. Any perpendicular problem involving a horizontal or vertical reference line is answered by the geometry rather than by the formula.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the line through \( (0, 4) \) parallel to \( y = 5x \).
    Show the full solution

    \( y = 5x + 4 \)

  2. Write the line through \( (1, 2) \) parallel to \( y = -x + 9 \).
    Show the full solution

    \( y - 2 = -(x - 1) \). \( y = -x + 3 \)

  3. Write the line through \( (0, 0) \) perpendicular to \( y = 4x \).
    Show the full solution

    Negative reciprocal of 4. \( y = -\frac{1}{4}x \)

  4. Write the line through \( (5, 3) \) perpendicular to \( x = 5 \).
    Show the full solution

    The reference is vertical, so the answer is horizontal through \( y = 3 \). \( y = 3 \)

  5. What slope is perpendicular to \( -\frac{5}{2} \)?
    Show the full solution

    \( \frac{2}{5} \)

  6. Write the line through \( (-2, 7) \) parallel to \( 3x - y = 8 \).
    Show the full solution

    Rearrange: \( -y = -3x + 8 \), so \( y = 3x - 8 \) and the slope is 3. Parallel means slope 3. Point-slope with \( (-2, 7) \): \( y - 7 = 3(x + 2) \), so \( y - 7 = 3x + 6 \) and \( y = 3x + 13 \). Check: at \( x = -2 \), \( y = -6 + 13 = 7 \). Correct. \( y = 3x + 13 \)

  7. Write the line through \( (6, -4) \) perpendicular to \( 4x - 2y = 9 \).
    Show the full solution

    Rearrange: \( -2y = -4x + 9 \), so \( y = 2x - \dfrac{9}{2} \) and the slope is 2. Perpendicular slope: \( -\dfrac{1}{2} \). Check: \( 2 \times \left(-\dfrac{1}{2}\right) = -1 \). Point-slope with \( (6, -4) \): \( y + 4 = -\dfrac{1}{2}(x - 6) \), so \( y + 4 = -\dfrac{1}{2}x + 3 \) and \( y = -\dfrac{1}{2}x - 1 \). Check: at \( x = 6 \), \( y = -3 - 1 = -4 \). Correct. \( y = -\frac{1}{2}x - 1 \)

  8. Find the perpendicular bisector of the segment from \( (1, 3) \) to \( (9, 7) \).
    Show the full solution

    Two things are needed: the midpoint and the perpendicular slope. Midpoint: \( \left( \dfrac{1+9}{2}, \dfrac{3+7}{2} \right) = (5, 5) \). Slope of the segment: \( \dfrac{7-3}{9-1} = \dfrac{4}{8} = \dfrac{1}{2} \). Perpendicular slope: \( -2 \). Check: \( \dfrac{1}{2} \times (-2) = -1 \). Equation: \( y - 5 = -2(x - 5) \), so \( y = -2x + 15 \). Check both conditions: at \( x = 5 \), \( y = -10 + 15 = 5 \), so it passes through the midpoint; and its slope is the negative reciprocal of the segment's. Both halves of the definition hold. \( y = -2x + 15 \)

  9. A line passes through \( (2, 1) \) and is perpendicular to the line through \( (0, 4) \) and \( (6, 0) \). Find its equation.
    Show the full solution

    First find the reference slope from its two points: \( m = \dfrac{0 - 4}{6 - 0} = \dfrac{-4}{6} = -\dfrac{2}{3} \). Perpendicular slope: flip and change sign, giving \( \dfrac{3}{2} \). Check: \( -\dfrac{2}{3} \times \dfrac{3}{2} = -1 \). Point-slope with \( (2, 1) \): \( y - 1 = \dfrac{3}{2}(x - 2) \), so \( y - 1 = \dfrac{3}{2}x - 3 \) and \( y = \dfrac{3}{2}x - 2 \). Check: at \( x = 2 \), \( y = 3 - 2 = 1 \). Correct. The step worth noting is that the reference line was given by two points rather than an equation, so the slope had to be computed before anything else. The rest of the procedure is unchanged. \( y = \frac{3}{2}x - 2 \)

  10. A rectangle has three vertices at \( A(0,0) \), \( B(6,2) \) and \( C(4,8) \)? Determine whether this is possible, and if so find the fourth vertex.
    Show the full solution

    A rectangle needs right angles, so first check whether \( \angle B \) is right, since \( B \) is between \( A \) and \( C \) in the listing. Slope of \( \overline{AB} \): \( \dfrac{2-0}{6-0} = \dfrac{1}{3} \). Slope of \( \overline{BC} \): \( \dfrac{8-2}{4-6} = \dfrac{6}{-2} = -3 \). Product: \( \dfrac{1}{3} \times (-3) = -1 \). Perpendicular, so \( \angle B \) is a right angle and a rectangle is possible. The fourth vertex \( D \) must make \( \overline{AD} \parallel \overline{BC} \) and \( \overline{DC} \parallel \overline{AB} \). Since \( ABCD \) is a parallelogram, the diagonals bisect each other, so the midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \) equals the midpoint of \( \overline{BD} \). Midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \): \( \left( \dfrac{0+4}{2}, \dfrac{0+8}{2} \right) = (2, 4) \). So \( \left( \dfrac{6 + x}{2}, \dfrac{2 + y}{2} \right) = (2, 4) \), giving \( 6 + x = 4 \) and \( 2 + y = 8 \), so \( x = -2 \) and \( y = 6 \). \( D \) is \( (-2, 6) \). Check: slope of \( \overline{AD} \) is \( \dfrac{6-0}{-2-0} = -3 \), matching \( \overline{BC} \). Slope of \( \overline{DC} \) is \( \dfrac{8-6}{4-(-2)} = \dfrac{2}{6} = \dfrac{1}{3} \), matching \( \overline{AB} \). Both pairs of opposite sides are parallel and adjacent sides are perpendicular, so \( ABCD \) is a rectangle. Possible; the fourth vertex is \( D(-2, 6) \)

Lesson 3.7 · Unit 3 · G-GPE.5

The shortest path is the perpendicular one

Distance from a point to a line means the shortest distance, and the shortest path is always along the perpendicular. Computing it uses everything in this unit at once: a perpendicular slope, an equation, a system to find the intersection, and the distance formula.

The method
  1. The distance from a point to a line is the length of the perpendicular segment from the point to the line.
  2. The perpendicular is shortest because any other segment to the line is the hypotenuse of a right triangle whose leg is the perpendicular.
  3. Step one: find the slope of the given line, rearranging if needed.
  4. Step two: write the perpendicular through the point, using the negative reciprocal.
  5. Step three: solve the two equations as a system to find the foot of the perpendicular, where they meet.
  6. Step four: apply the distance formula between the original point and the foot.
  7. The distance between two parallel lines is found the same way: pick any point on one and find its distance to the other.
  8. Expect the foot of the perpendicular to have awkward coordinates even when the distance is clean, so do not treat fractions as a sign of error.

Where students lose marks: measuring the vertical distance instead of the perpendicular one. The vertical gap between a point and a line is easy to compute and is not the distance unless the line is horizontal. It is always larger than the true distance.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Find the distance from \( P(4, 8) \) to the line \( y = \dfrac{3}{4}x \). (b) Find the distance between the parallel lines \( y = 2x + 1 \) and \( y = 2x + 6 \).

Step one: find the perpendicular slope for (a). The given line has slope \( \dfrac{3}{4} \), so the perpendicular has slope \( -\dfrac{4}{3} \). Check: \( \dfrac{3}{4} \times \left(-\dfrac{4}{3}\right) = -1 \). Correct.

Step two: write the perpendicular through \( P \). \( y - 8 = -\dfrac{4}{3}(x - 4) \). Clearing the fraction by multiplying through by 3: \( 3y - 24 = -4x + 16 \), so \( 4x + 3y = 40 \).

Step three: set up the system. The given line \( y = \dfrac{3}{4}x \) can be written \( 3x - 4y = 0 \). Together with \( 4x + 3y = 40 \), these two equations locate the foot of the perpendicular.

Step four: solve the system. From \( 3x - 4y = 0 \), \( x = \dfrac{4y}{3} \). Substituting: \( 4 \cdot \dfrac{4y}{3} + 3y = 40 \), so \( \dfrac{16y}{3} + 3y = 40 \). Multiplying by 3: \( 16y + 9y = 120 \), so \( 25y = 120 \) and \( y = 4.8 \). Then \( x = \dfrac{4(4.8)}{3} = 6.4 \). The foot is \( (6.4, 4.8) \), with decimal coordinates even though the answer will be clean.

Step five: apply the distance formula. From \( (4, 8) \) to \( (6.4, 4.8) \): the differences are \( 6.4 - 4 = 2.4 \) and \( 4.8 - 8 = -3.2 \). \[ d = \sqrt{2.4^2 + (-3.2)^2} = \sqrt{5.76 + 10.24} = \sqrt{16} = 4 \]

Step six: check with the direct formula. For a line written \( ax + by + c = 0 \), the distance from \( (x_0, y_0) \) is \( \dfrac{|ax_0 + by_0 + c|}{\sqrt{a^2 + b^2}} \). Here the line is \( 3x - 4y = 0 \), so \( \dfrac{|3(4) - 4(8)|}{\sqrt{9 + 16}} = \dfrac{|12 - 32|}{5} = \dfrac{20}{5} = 4 \). The two methods agree. The formula is faster; the construction shows why it is true.

Step seven: begin (b) by picking a point. Any point on either line will do, so take the simplest: on \( y = 2x + 1 \), setting \( x = 0 \) gives the point \( (0, 1) \).

Step eight: find its distance to the other line. The perpendicular through \( (0,1) \) has slope \( -\dfrac{1}{2} \), so \( y = -\dfrac{1}{2}x + 1 \). Intersecting with \( y = 2x + 6 \): \( 2x + 6 = -\dfrac{1}{2}x + 1 \). Multiplying by 2: \( 4x + 12 = -x + 2 \), so \( 5x = -10 \) and \( x = -2 \), giving \( y = 2 \). Distance from \( (0,1) \) to \( (-2, 2) \): differences \( -2 \) and 1, so \( \sqrt{4 + 1} = \sqrt{5} \approx 2.24 \). Check with the formula, writing the second line as \( 2x - y + 6 = 0 \): \( \dfrac{|2(0) - 1 + 6|}{\sqrt{4 + 1}} = \dfrac{5}{\sqrt{5}} = \sqrt{5} \). The two agree. Note that the vertical gap between the lines is \( 6 - 1 = 5 \), more than twice the true distance, which is exactly the error the method warns about.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What path gives the distance from a point to a line?
    Show the full solution

    The perpendicular segment

  2. Find the distance from \( (3, 7) \) to the line \( y = 2 \).
    Show the full solution

    The line is horizontal, so the perpendicular is vertical. 5

  3. Find the distance from \( (6, 1) \) to the line \( x = -2 \).
    Show the full solution

    8

  4. Find the distance between \( y = 4 \) and \( y = 11 \).
    Show the full solution

    7

  5. Is the vertical gap from a point to a line the same as the distance?
    Show the full solution

    Only if the line is horizontal; otherwise it is larger

  6. Find the distance from \( (0, 0) \) to the line \( 3x + 4y = 25 \).
    Show the full solution

    Using the formula with the line written \( 3x + 4y - 25 = 0 \): \( d = \dfrac{|3(0) + 4(0) - 25|}{\sqrt{9 + 16}} = \dfrac{25}{5} = 5 \). Verifying by construction: the line has slope \( -\dfrac{3}{4} \), so the perpendicular through the origin has slope \( \dfrac{4}{3} \), giving \( y = \dfrac{4}{3}x \). Substituting into \( 3x + 4y = 25 \): \( 3x + \dfrac{16x}{3} = 25 \), so \( 9x + 16x = 75 \) and \( x = 3 \), giving \( y = 4 \). Distance from \( (0,0) \) to \( (3,4) \) is \( \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \). The two methods agree. 5

  7. Find the distance from \( (1, 2) \) to the line \( y = x \).
    Show the full solution

    Write the line as \( x - y = 0 \) and use the formula: \( d = \dfrac{|1 - 2|}{\sqrt{1 + 1}} = \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}} = \dfrac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \approx 0.707 \). By construction: the perpendicular through \( (1,2) \) has slope \( -1 \), so \( y - 2 = -(x - 1) \), giving \( y = -x + 3 \). Intersecting with \( y = x \): \( x = -x + 3 \), so \( x = 1.5 \) and \( y = 1.5 \). Distance from \( (1,2) \) to \( (1.5, 1.5) \): differences 0.5 and \( -0.5 \), so \( \sqrt{0.25 + 0.25} = \sqrt{0.5} = \dfrac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \). The two agree. \( \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \), about 0.71

  8. Find the distance between \( y = 3x - 2 \) and \( y = 3x + 8 \).
    Show the full solution

    The lines are parallel, both with slope 3, so the distance is well defined. Take the point \( (0, -2) \) on the first line. Write the second as \( 3x - y + 8 = 0 \) and apply the formula: \( d = \dfrac{|3(0) - (-2) + 8|}{\sqrt{9 + 1}} = \dfrac{10}{\sqrt{10}} = \sqrt{10} \approx 3.16 \). Note that the vertical gap between the lines is \( 8 - (-2) = 10 \), while the actual distance is about 3.16. The steeper the lines, the larger the discrepancy, since the perpendicular is far from vertical. \( \sqrt{10} \), about 3.16

  9. Explain why the perpendicular segment is the shortest path from a point to a line.
    Show the full solution

    Let \( P \) be the point, \( \ell \) the line, and \( F \) the foot of the perpendicular from \( P \) to \( \ell \). Let \( Q \) be any other point on \( \ell \). Since \( \overline{PF} \perp \ell \), the angle \( \angle PFQ \) is a right angle, so \( \triangle PFQ \) is a right triangle with legs \( \overline{PF} \) and \( \overline{FQ} \), and hypotenuse \( \overline{PQ} \). By the Pythagorean theorem, \( PQ^2 = PF^2 + FQ^2 \). Since \( Q \neq F \), the length \( FQ \) is positive, so \( FQ^2 \gt 0 \) and therefore \( PQ^2 \gt PF^2 \), giving \( PQ \gt PF \). So every other segment from \( P \) to the line is strictly longer than the perpendicular one. The perpendicular is not merely one candidate among several; it is the unique shortest, which is why "the distance" is well defined. The same argument proves the analogous fact in unit 6: in any right triangle the hypotenuse is the longest side, since it is opposite the largest angle. Any other segment is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with the perpendicular as a leg, and a hypotenuse always exceeds a leg

  10. Find the distance from \( (5, 5) \) to the line through \( (1, 1) \) and \( (7, 4) \), by construction and by formula.
    Show the full solution

    Find the line first. Slope: \( \dfrac{4 - 1}{7 - 1} = \dfrac{3}{6} = \dfrac{1}{2} \). Through \( (1,1) \): \( y - 1 = \dfrac{1}{2}(x - 1) \), so \( y = \dfrac{1}{2}x + \dfrac{1}{2} \), or in standard form \( x - 2y + 1 = 0 \). By formula. \( d = \dfrac{|5 - 2(5) + 1|}{\sqrt{1 + 4}} = \dfrac{|5 - 10 + 1|}{\sqrt{5}} = \dfrac{4}{\sqrt{5}} = \dfrac{4\sqrt{5}}{5} \approx 1.789 \). By construction. The perpendicular through \( (5,5) \) has slope \( -2 \): \( y - 5 = -2(x - 5) \), so \( y = -2x + 15 \). Intersecting: \( \dfrac{1}{2}x + \dfrac{1}{2} = -2x + 15 \). Multiplying by 2: \( x + 1 = -4x + 30 \), so \( 5x = 29 \) and \( x = 5.8 \), giving \( y = -11.6 + 15 = 3.4 \). Distance from \( (5,5) \) to \( (5.8, 3.4) \): differences 0.8 and \( -1.6 \), so \( \sqrt{0.64 + 2.56} = \sqrt{3.2} \approx 1.789 \). The two methods agree. Note again that the foot of the perpendicular has untidy coordinates while the exact answer, \( \dfrac{4\sqrt{5}}{5} \), is compact. That is typical and is not a sign of arithmetic error. \( \frac{4\sqrt{5}}{5} \), about 1.79

Unit 3 mixed review · 10 problems · all topics

Unit 3: Parallel and Perpendicular Lines

Watch which direction each theorem is being used. Some of these give you parallel lines and ask for angles; others give you angles and ask whether the lines are parallel.

  1. Two parallel lines are cut by a transversal. One angle measures \( 115^\circ \). Find its corresponding angle.
    Show the full solution

    \( 115^\circ \)

  2. In the same figure, find the same-side interior angle paired with a \( 68^\circ \) angle.
    Show the full solution

    Same-side interior angles are supplementary when the lines are parallel. \( 112^\circ \)

  3. Find the slope of a line parallel to \( y = -3x + 7 \).
    Show the full solution

    \( -3 \)

  4. Find the slope of a line perpendicular to it.
    Show the full solution

    The negative reciprocal. \( \frac{1}{3} \)

  5. You are told two alternate interior angles are congruent. What may you conclude?
    Show the full solution

    The lines are parallel, by the converse of the alternate interior angles theorem

  6. Two alternate interior angles measure \( 3x + 10 \) and \( 5x - 30 \), with the lines parallel. Find both.
    Show the full solution

    Alternate interior angles are congruent when the lines are parallel: \( 3x + 10 = 5x - 30 \), so \( 40 = 2x \) and \( x = 20 \). Each measures \( 3(20) + 10 = 70^\circ \). Check: \( 5(20) - 30 = 70 \). Correct. \( 70^\circ \) each

  7. Two same-side interior angles measure \( 2x + 15 \) and \( 3x + 25 \), with the lines parallel. Find both.
    Show the full solution

    Same-side interior angles are supplementary: \( (2x + 15) + (3x + 25) = 180 \), so \( 5x + 40 = 180 \), giving \( x = 28 \). The angles are \( 2(28) + 15 = 71^\circ \) and \( 3(28) + 25 = 109^\circ \). Check: \( 71 + 109 = 180 \). Correct. Note the contrast with the previous problem: congruent there, supplementary here, and the difference is entirely which angle pair the problem names. \( 71^\circ \) and \( 109^\circ \)

  8. Write the equation of the line through \( (4, -3) \) parallel to \( 2x - 5y = 10 \).
    Show the full solution

    Find the given line's slope by solving for \( y \): \( -5y = -2x + 10 \), so \( y = \dfrac{2}{5}x - 2 \). Slope \( \dfrac{2}{5} \). A parallel line has the same slope. Using point-slope form: \( y + 3 = \dfrac{2}{5}(x - 4) \), so \( y = \dfrac{2}{5}x - \dfrac{8}{5} - 3 = \dfrac{2}{5}x - \dfrac{23}{5} \). Check at \( x = 4 \): \( \dfrac{8}{5} - \dfrac{23}{5} = -\dfrac{15}{5} = -3 \). The point is on the line. Correct. \( y = \frac{2}{5}x - \frac{23}{5} \)

  9. Explain the converse error that this unit warns about.
    Show the full solution

    Each angle relationship in this unit comes in two forms that must not be swapped. The forward theorem takes parallel lines as given and concludes something about angles. The converse takes an angle relationship as given and concludes the lines are parallel. The error. A student is given that two angles are congruent and writes "alternate interior angles are congruent" as the reason for concluding the lines are parallel. That names the forward theorem, whose hypothesis is parallelism, which is exactly what is being proved. The reason must be the converse. The mirror-image error. A student is given parallel lines and writes the converse as the reason for concluding angles are congruent. The conclusion is right but the justification is not, and on a graded proof the reason column is where the marks are. The check. Ask what the given is. If parallelism is given, use the forward theorem. If parallelism is the goal, use the converse. As lesson 2.2 established, a statement and its converse are logically independent, so the distinction is not pedantry. Citing a theorem whose hypothesis is the very thing being proved, which makes the argument circular

  10. Find the distance from \( (3, -2) \) to the line \( 4x - 3y = 12 \), and locate the foot of the perpendicular.
    Show the full solution

    Use the formula. For a line \( Ax + By = C \), the distance from \( (x_0, y_0) \) is \( \dfrac{|Ax_0 + By_0 - C|}{\sqrt{A^2 + B^2}} \). Here \( A = 4 \), \( B = -3 \), \( C = 12 \): \( \dfrac{|4(3) - 3(-2) - 12|}{\sqrt{16 + 9}} = \dfrac{|12 + 6 - 12|}{5} = \dfrac{6}{5} = 1.2 \). Locate the foot by construction. The line's slope is \( \dfrac{4}{3} \), so the perpendicular through \( (3, -2) \) has slope \( -\dfrac{3}{4} \): \( y + 2 = -\dfrac{3}{4}(x - 3) \). Substituting into \( 4x - 3y = 12 \): \( y = -\dfrac{3}{4}x + \dfrac{9}{4} - 2 = -\dfrac{3}{4}x + \dfrac{1}{4} \). \( 4x - 3\left( -\dfrac{3}{4}x + \dfrac{1}{4} \right) = 12 \), so \( 4x + \dfrac{9}{4}x - \dfrac{3}{4} = 12 \), giving \( \dfrac{25}{4}x = \dfrac{51}{4} \) and \( x = \dfrac{51}{25} = 2.04 \). Then \( y = -\dfrac{3}{4}(2.04) + 0.25 = -1.53 + 0.25 = -1.28 \). The foot is \( (2.04, -1.28) \). Verify the foot is on the line. \( 4(2.04) - 3(-1.28) = 8.16 + 3.84 = 12 \). Correct. Verify the distance independently. \( \sqrt{(3 - 2.04)^2 + (-2 + 1.28)^2} = \sqrt{0.96^2 + 0.72^2} = \sqrt{0.9216 + 0.5184} = \sqrt{1.44} = 1.2 \). Agrees with the formula exactly. Why the perpendicular is the right measurement. Any other segment from the point to the line is the hypotenuse of a right triangle whose leg is the perpendicular segment, so it is strictly longer. Distance from a point to a line means the shortest such segment, which is why the perpendicular is the one used. Distance 1.2, with the foot at \( (2.04, -1.28) \)

Lesson 4.1 · Unit 4 · G-CO.2, G-CO.6

Functions that move the plane, and the ones that do not distort it

A transformation is a function whose inputs and outputs are points. Some preserve distance and some do not, and that single distinction organizes the whole unit. It also sets up the definition of congruence, which in this course is about motion rather than appearance.

The method
  1. A transformation is a function assigning to each point of the plane exactly one image point. The original figure is the preimage; the result is the image.
  2. Prime notation labels images: the image of \( A \) is \( A' \), and a second transformation gives \( A'' \).
  3. A rigid motion, or isometry, preserves distance. Every pair of points is the same distance apart after the transformation as before.
  4. Preserving distance forces preserving angle measure, so a rigid motion changes position without changing shape or size.
  5. The three rigid motions are translations, reflections and rotations. Every rigid motion of the plane is one of these or a composition of them.
  6. A dilation is not rigid. It multiplies every distance by a scale factor, preserving shape but not size, which is why it belongs to unit 8.
  7. Orientation is preserved by translations and rotations and reversed by reflections, which is a useful way to tell which happened.
  8. To test whether a mapping is rigid, compare one distance before and after. If any distance changes, it is not.

Where students lose marks: calling a dilation a rigid motion because the shape is unchanged. Rigid means distance preserving, and a dilation with scale factor 2 doubles every distance. Shape is preserved by both; size only by rigid motions.

Worked example

The problem. Triangle \( ABC \) has vertices \( A(1,1) \), \( B(4,1) \), \( C(1,5) \). (a) Apply the rule \( (x, y) \to (x + 2, y + 3) \) and decide whether it is a rigid motion. (b) Apply the rule \( (x, y) \to (2x, 2y) \) and decide whether it is a rigid motion. (c) State what each preserves.

Step one: apply the first rule. \( A(1,1) \to A'(3,4) \); \( B(4,1) \to B'(6,4) \); \( C(1,5) \to C'(3,8) \).

Step two: compute one distance before and after. \( AB \): from \( (1,1) \) to \( (4,1) \), differences 3 and 0, so \( AB = 3 \). \( A'B' \): from \( (3,4) \) to \( (6,4) \), differences 3 and 0, so \( A'B' = 3 \). Unchanged.

Step three: check a second distance and a diagonal one. \( AC \): from \( (1,1) \) to \( (1,5) \), so \( AC = 4 \). \( A'C' \): from \( (3,4) \) to \( (3,8) \), so \( A'C' = 4 \). Unchanged. \( BC \): from \( (4,1) \) to \( (1,5) \), differences \( -3 \) and 4, so \( BC = \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \). \( B'C' \): from \( (6,4) \) to \( (3,8) \), differences \( -3 \) and 4, so \( B'C' = 5 \). Unchanged. All three sides preserved, so the first rule is a rigid motion. It is a translation, the subject of lesson 4.2.

Step four: apply the second rule. \( A(1,1) \to A''(2,2) \); \( B(4,1) \to B''(8,2) \); \( C(1,5) \to C''(2,10) \).

Step five: test distance. \( A''B'' \): from \( (2,2) \) to \( (8,2) \), so \( A''B'' = 6 \). The original \( AB \) was 3, so the distance has doubled. One changed distance is enough: the second rule is not a rigid motion.

Step six: confirm the pattern across all three sides. \( A''C'' \): from \( (2,2) \) to \( (2,10) \), giving 8, against the original 4. \( B''C'' \): from \( (8,2) \) to \( (2,10) \), differences \( -6 \) and 8, so \( \sqrt{36 + 64} = 10 \), against the original 5. Every distance doubled, which is the signature of a dilation with scale factor 2.

Step seven: check angle measure in the second case. Even though distances changed, the shape did not. The original triangle has a right angle at \( A \), since \( \overline{AB} \) is horizontal and \( \overline{AC} \) is vertical. The image has \( \overline{A''B''} \) horizontal and \( \overline{A''C''} \) vertical, so the right angle survives. A dilation preserves angle measure but not distance.

Step eight: answer (c). The translation preserved distance, angle measure, orientation, and therefore size and shape. It is a rigid motion, and preimage and image are congruent. The dilation preserved angle measure, shape and orientation, but multiplied every distance by 2. It is not a rigid motion, and preimage and image are similar rather than congruent. That distinction is the whole difference between unit 5 and unit 8.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does a rigid motion preserve?
    Show the full solution

    Distance, and therefore angle measure

  2. Name the three rigid motions.
    Show the full solution

    Translation, reflection, rotation

  3. Is a dilation a rigid motion?
    Show the full solution

    No; it changes distances

  4. What is the image of \( A \) usually called?
    Show the full solution

    \( A' \), read "A prime"

  5. Which rigid motion reverses orientation?
    Show the full solution

    Reflection

  6. Is \( (x, y) \to (x + 5, y - 2) \) a rigid motion? Test it on two points.
    Show the full solution

    Take \( P(0,0) \) and \( Q(3,4) \). Their distance is \( \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \). Images: \( P'(5, -2) \) and \( Q'(8, 2) \). Their distance is \( \sqrt{(8-5)^2 + (2-(-2))^2} = \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \). Unchanged. In general the rule adds the same amounts to both points, so the differences \( x_2 - x_1 \) and \( y_2 - y_1 \) are untouched and the distance formula gives the same result. Yes, a rigid motion; it is a translation

  7. Is \( (x, y) \to (3x, y) \) a rigid motion?
    Show the full solution

    Take \( P(0,0) \) and \( Q(1,0) \), distance 1. Images: \( P'(0,0) \) and \( Q'(3,0) \), distance 3. Changed, so it is not rigid. This one is worth examining further. Take \( R(0,1) \): its image is \( R'(0,1) \), unchanged, so vertical distances survive while horizontal ones triple. The transformation stretches the plane in one direction only, which distorts shape as well as size: a square becomes a rectangle and the right angles survive but a \( 45^\circ \) angle does not. So it is neither rigid nor a dilation. A dilation multiplies all distances by the same factor; this multiplies only some. No; it stretches horizontally only, so it preserves neither distance nor shape

  8. Explain why preserving distance forces preserving angle measure.
    Show the full solution

    Take an angle \( \angle ABC \) and mark points \( A \) and \( C \) on its two sides. The three points \( A \), \( B \), \( C \) form a triangle, and the angle at \( B \) is the one in question. A rigid motion sends these to \( A' \), \( B' \), \( C' \) with \( A'B' = AB \), \( B'C' = BC \) and \( A'C' = AC \). So the image triangle has three sides congruent to the original's. By the SSS criterion of lesson 5.2, the two triangles are congruent, and corresponding angles of congruent triangles are congruent. In particular \( \angle A'B'C' \cong \angle ABC \). So the angle measure survives, not as an extra assumption but as a consequence of the distances surviving. This is why the definition of a rigid motion mentions distance only: everything else follows. Three preserved distances make the triangles congruent by SSS, so corresponding angles are congruent

  9. A transformation sends \( (1,2) \) to \( (1,-2) \) and \( (4,3) \) to \( (4,-3) \). Identify it and verify it is rigid.
    Show the full solution

    The pattern is that \( x \) stays the same and \( y \) changes sign: \( (x, y) \to (x, -y) \). That is reflection across the \( x \) axis, covered in lesson 4.3. Verifying rigidity. Original distance from \( (1,2) \) to \( (4,3) \): differences 3 and 1, so \( \sqrt{9 + 1} = \sqrt{10} \). Image distance from \( (1,-2) \) to \( (4,-3) \): differences 3 and \( -1 \), so \( \sqrt{9 + 1} = \sqrt{10} \). Unchanged. In general, the horizontal difference is untouched and the vertical difference has its sign flipped, which the squaring in the distance formula removes. So every distance is preserved and the transformation is rigid. Orientation, however, is reversed: a point above the axis moves below it, so a figure traced counterclockwise becomes one traced clockwise. That is the signature of a reflection. Reflection across the \( x \) axis; rigid, since the sign change is removed by squaring

  10. A square has vertices \( (0,0) \), \( (2,0) \), \( (2,2) \), \( (0,2) \). Apply \( (x,y) \to (x + y, y) \) and determine what is and is not preserved.
    Show the full solution

    Apply the rule to each vertex. \( (0,0) \to (0,0) \); \( (2,0) \to (2,0) \); \( (2,2) \to (4,2) \); \( (0,2) \to (2,2) \). Distance. The bottom side from \( (0,0) \) to \( (2,0) \) had length 2 and still does. The left side from \( (0,0) \) to \( (0,2) \) had length 2; its image runs from \( (0,0) \) to \( (2,2) \), with length \( \sqrt{4 + 4} = 2\sqrt{2} \approx 2.83 \). Changed, so the transformation is not rigid. Angle measure. The original angle at \( (0,0) \) is a right angle between a horizontal and a vertical side. In the image the sides run along \( (2,0) \) and \( (2,2) \) directions, meeting at \( 45^\circ \). Not preserved. What is preserved. Parallel sides stay parallel: the bottom and top both remain horizontal, and the two slanted sides both have slope 1. Area is also preserved, since the base 2 and the height 2 are unchanged, giving 4 in both cases. So the image is a parallelogram of the same area but a different shape. This transformation is called a shear, and it shows that the categories in this lesson are not exhaustive: there are transformations that are neither rigid nor dilations, and preserving area does not imply preserving distance. A shear: parallelism and area are preserved, distance and angle measure are not, so the square becomes a non-rectangular parallelogram

Lesson 4.2 · Unit 4 · G-CO.4, G-CO.5

Sliding every point the same distance in the same direction

A translation is the simplest rigid motion: every point moves the same amount in the same direction, and nothing turns or flips. Its coordinate rule is addition, which makes proving it rigid a two-line argument.

The method
  1. A translation moves every point the same distance in the same direction, described by a vector.
  2. The coordinate rule is \( (x, y) \to (x + a, y + b) \), where \( a \) is the horizontal shift and \( b \) the vertical.
  3. A positive \( a \) moves right and a negative \( a \) moves left; a positive \( b \) moves up.
  4. Every segment joining a point to its image is parallel to every other and they all have the same length, which is the geometric description of a translation.
  5. Translations preserve distance, angle measure and orientation, so the image is congruent to the preimage and faces the same way.
  6. A translation has no fixed points unless it is the identity, since every point moves.
  7. To find the vector from a preimage and image, subtract corresponding coordinates.
  8. Composing two translations gives a translation, with the two vectors added.

Where students lose marks: subtracting in the wrong order when finding the vector. If \( A(2,5) \) maps to \( A'(7,1) \), the vector is \( \langle 7 - 2, 1 - 5 \rangle = \langle 5, -4 \rangle \), image minus preimage. Reversing it describes the translation that undoes this one.

Worked example

The problem. Triangle \( ABC \) has vertices \( A(-2, 1) \), \( B(3, 1) \), \( C(0, 5) \). (a) Translate it by \( \langle 4, -3 \rangle \) and list the image vertices. (b) Prove the translation preserves distance. (c) If \( D(1, 7) \) maps to \( D'(-2, 2) \), find the translation vector. (d) Compose the translation from (a) with the one from (c).

Step one: write the rule for (a). The vector \( \langle 4, -3 \rangle \) means 4 right and 3 down, so the rule is \( (x, y) \to (x + 4, y - 3) \).

Step two: apply it to each vertex. \( A(-2, 1) \to A'(2, -2) \). \( B(3, 1) \to B'(7, -2) \). \( C(0, 5) \to C'(4, 2) \).

Step three: check one distance as a sanity test. \( AB \): from \( (-2,1) \) to \( (3,1) \), so \( AB = 5 \). \( A'B' \): from \( (2,-2) \) to \( (7,-2) \), so \( A'B' = 5 \). Unchanged, as expected.

Step four: prove (b) in general rather than by example. Take any two points \( P(x_1, y_1) \) and \( Q(x_2, y_2) \), and translate by \( \langle a, b \rangle \): \( P'(x_1 + a, y_1 + b) \) and \( Q'(x_2 + a, y_2 + b) \).

Step five: compute the image distance. The horizontal difference is \( (x_2 + a) - (x_1 + a) = x_2 - x_1 \), since the \( a \) cancels. The vertical difference is \( (y_2 + b) - (y_1 + b) = y_2 - y_1 \), since the \( b \) cancels. So \[ P'Q' = \sqrt{(x_2 - x_1)^2 + (y_2 - y_1)^2} = PQ \] The two shifts cancel in the subtraction, which is the whole reason a translation is rigid. The proof holds for every pair of points, not just the ones in the example.

Step six: find the vector in (c). Subtract preimage from image: \( \langle -2 - 1, \; 2 - 7 \rangle = \langle -3, -5 \rangle \). So the rule is \( (x, y) \to (x - 3, y - 5) \), meaning 3 left and 5 down. Check: \( (1 - 3, 7 - 5) = (-2, 2) \), which is \( D' \). Correct.

Step seven: compose the two translations in (d). Apply \( \langle 4, -3 \rangle \) first, then \( \langle -3, -5 \rangle \). A point \( (x, y) \) goes to \( (x + 4, y - 3) \) and then to \( (x + 4 - 3, y - 3 - 5) = (x + 1, y - 8) \). So the composition is the single translation \( \langle 1, -8 \rangle \), the sum of the two vectors.

Step eight: verify the composition on a point. Take \( A(-2, 1) \). First translation: \( A'(2, -2) \). Second: \( (2 - 3, -2 - 5) = (-1, -7) \). Directly by the composed rule: \( (-2 + 1, 1 - 8) = (-1, -7) \). They agree. Note also that the order did not matter: applying \( \langle -3, -5 \rangle \) first gives \( (-5, -4) \) and then \( \langle 4, -3 \rangle \) gives \( (-1, -7) \), the same point. Translations commute because addition does, which is not true of the compositions in lesson 4.5.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Apply \( (x,y) \to (x+3, y+2) \) to \( (1, 4) \).
    Show the full solution

    \( (4, 6) \)

  2. Apply the vector \( \langle -2, 5 \rangle \) to \( (7, 0) \).
    Show the full solution

    \( (5, 5) \)

  3. \( A(2, 3) \) maps to \( A'(6, 3) \). Find the vector.
    Show the full solution

    Image minus preimage. \( \langle 4, 0 \rangle \)

  4. Does a translation change orientation?
    Show the full solution

    No

  5. How many fixed points does a translation by \( \langle 3, 1 \rangle \) have?
    Show the full solution

    Every point moves. None

  6. Translate the triangle with vertices \( (0,0) \), \( (4,0) \), \( (0,3) \) by \( \langle -1, 6 \rangle \), and confirm the side lengths are unchanged.
    Show the full solution

    Images: \( (-1, 6) \), \( (3, 6) \), \( (-1, 9) \). Original sides: from \( (0,0) \) to \( (4,0) \) is 4; from \( (0,0) \) to \( (0,3) \) is 3; from \( (4,0) \) to \( (0,3) \) is \( \sqrt{16 + 9} = 5 \). Image sides: from \( (-1,6) \) to \( (3,6) \) is 4; from \( (-1,6) \) to \( (-1,9) \) is 3; from \( (3,6) \) to \( (-1,9) \) is \( \sqrt{16 + 9} = 5 \). All three unchanged, confirming the translation is rigid. Images \( (-1,6) \), \( (3,6) \), \( (-1,9) \); sides 3, 4, 5 in both

  7. A translation maps \( (5, -2) \) to \( (1, 3) \). Find the image of \( (0, 0) \).
    Show the full solution

    Find the vector first: \( \langle 1 - 5, \; 3 - (-2) \rangle = \langle -4, 5 \rangle \). Apply it to the origin: \( (0 - 4, 0 + 5) = (-4, 5) \). Note the shortcut: the image of the origin under a translation is always the vector itself, since the rule adds the vector's components to zero. \( (-4, 5) \)

  8. What single translation undoes \( \langle 7, -4 \rangle \)?
    Show the full solution

    To return every point to where it started, move back by the same amount in the opposite direction, which negates both components: \( \langle -7, 4 \rangle \). Check by composing: a point \( (x,y) \) goes to \( (x + 7, y - 4) \) and then to \( (x + 7 - 7, y - 4 + 4) = (x, y) \), the identity. The vector sum is \( \langle 0, 0 \rangle \), which is the translation that moves nothing. Every rigid motion has an inverse, and for a translation it is simply the opposite vector. \( \langle -7, 4 \rangle \)

  9. Explain why every segment joining a point to its translated image is parallel to every other such segment.
    Show the full solution

    Take a translation by \( \langle a, b \rangle \) and any point \( P(x, y) \). Its image is \( P'(x + a, y + b) \), so the segment \( \overline{PP'} \) has horizontal change \( a \) and vertical change \( b \). Those numbers do not depend on \( P \). Every point in the plane produces a segment with the same horizontal and vertical changes, so every such segment has slope \( \dfrac{b}{a} \), the same for all of them. Equal slopes mean parallel lines, so all the connecting segments are parallel. They also all have length \( \sqrt{a^2 + b^2} \), again independent of \( P \), so they are congruent as well. That is the geometric definition of a translation: a transformation for which all the connecting segments are parallel and congruent. The coordinate rule and the geometric description are two views of the same thing. The horizontal and vertical changes are the same for every point, so all the segments have the same slope and length

  10. A translation maps \( \triangle ABC \) to \( \triangle A'B'C' \), where \( A(1,2) \), \( B(5,2) \), \( C(1,8) \) and \( A'(4, -1) \). Find \( B' \), \( C' \), and the perimeter of each triangle.
    Show the full solution

    Find the vector from the one pair given: \( \langle 4 - 1, \; -1 - 2 \rangle = \langle 3, -3 \rangle \). Apply it to the other vertices. \( B(5,2) \to B'(8, -1) \). \( C(1,8) \to C'(4, 5) \). Original perimeter. \( AB \): from \( (1,2) \) to \( (5,2) \), length 4. \( AC \): from \( (1,2) \) to \( (1,8) \), length 6. \( BC \): from \( (5,2) \) to \( (1,8) \), differences \( -4 \) and 6, so \( \sqrt{16 + 36} = \sqrt{52} = 2\sqrt{13} \). Perimeter: \( 10 + 2\sqrt{13} \approx 17.21 \). Image perimeter. \( A'B' \): from \( (4,-1) \) to \( (8,-1) \), length 4. \( A'C' \): from \( (4,-1) \) to \( (4,5) \), length 6. \( B'C' \): from \( (8,-1) \) to \( (4,5) \), differences \( -4 \) and 6, so \( 2\sqrt{13} \). Perimeter: \( 10 + 2\sqrt{13} \), identical. The perimeters had to match, since a translation preserves every distance and a perimeter is a sum of distances. Computing both is a check on the arithmetic rather than a discovery. \( B'(8,-1) \), \( C'(4,5) \); both perimeters \( 10 + 2\sqrt{13} \approx 17.21 \)

Lesson 4.3 · Unit 4 · G-CO.4, G-CO.5

Flipping across a line, and the perpendicular bisector that defines it

A reflection is defined by a property rather than by a rule: the line of reflection is the perpendicular bisector of every segment joining a point to its image. The coordinate rules follow from that property, and knowing the property means the rules can be rebuilt when forgotten.

The method
  1. A reflection across a line \( \ell \) maps each point \( P \) to \( P' \) so that \( \ell \) is the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{PP'} \).
  2. A point on the line is its own image, so the line of reflection is exactly the set of fixed points.
  3. Across the \( x \) axis: \( (x, y) \to (x, -y) \).
  4. Across the \( y \) axis: \( (x, y) \to (-x, y) \).
  5. Across the line \( y = x \): \( (x, y) \to (y, x) \), swapping the coordinates.
  6. Across the line \( y = -x \): \( (x, y) \to (-y, -x) \).
  7. Reflections preserve distance and angle measure but reverse orientation, so a figure traced counterclockwise is traced clockwise afterward.
  8. A line of symmetry of a figure is a line across which the figure maps to itself.

Where students lose marks: negating the wrong coordinate. Reflecting across the \( x \) axis changes the sign of \( y \), not \( x \). The check is that a point on the axis must not move: \( (3, 0) \) is on the \( x \) axis, and the correct rule leaves it at \( (3, 0) \).

Worked example

The problem. \( \triangle ABC \) has vertices \( A(2, 3) \), \( B(5, 1) \), \( C(2, -1) \). (a) Reflect across the \( x \) axis. (b) Reflect the original across \( y = x \). (c) Verify that the \( x \) axis is the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AA'} \). (d) Find the lines of symmetry of a rectangle and of a square.

Step one: apply the rule for (a). Across the \( x \) axis, \( (x, y) \to (x, -y) \). \( A(2,3) \to A'(2,-3) \); \( B(5,1) \to B'(5,-1) \); \( C(2,-1) \to C'(2,1) \).

Step two: sanity check the rule. A point on the \( x \) axis should not move. Testing \( (4, 0) \): the rule gives \( (4, -0) = (4, 0) \). Correct. Had the rule been \( (x,y) \to (-x, y) \), that point would have moved to \( (-4, 0) \), revealing the error.

Step three: apply the rule for (b). Across \( y = x \), \( (x, y) \to (y, x) \). \( A(2,3) \to A''(3,2) \); \( B(5,1) \to B''(1,5) \); \( C(2,-1) \to C''(-1,2) \).

Step four: sanity check that rule too. A point on \( y = x \) should be fixed. Testing \( (4,4) \): the rule gives \( (4,4) \). Correct.

Step five: begin (c) by checking the perpendicular condition. \( A \) is \( (2,3) \) and \( A' \) is \( (2,-3) \). The segment \( \overline{AA'} \) runs from \( (2,3) \) to \( (2,-3) \), which is vertical. The \( x \) axis is horizontal. A vertical and a horizontal line are perpendicular, so the first condition holds.

Step six: check the bisector condition. The midpoint of \( \overline{AA'} \) is \( \left( \dfrac{2+2}{2}, \dfrac{3 + (-3)}{2} \right) = (2, 0) \), which lies on the \( x \) axis since its \( y \) coordinate is 0. Both conditions of the definition hold, so the \( x \) axis is the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AA'} \), which is exactly what the definition of a reflection requires. The coordinate rule and the geometric definition agree.

Step seven: find the lines of symmetry of a rectangle. A line of symmetry maps the figure to itself. For a non-square rectangle, the horizontal line through the center works: reflecting swaps the top and bottom sides, and the figure lands on itself. The vertical line through the center works the same way. A diagonal does not: reflecting a 3 by 5 rectangle across a diagonal sends a side of length 3 onto a side of length 5, which cannot be, since reflections preserve length. So a rectangle has exactly two lines of symmetry.

Step eight: find them for a square. The two through the midpoints of opposite sides work, as for any rectangle. Now the diagonals also work, because all four sides are congruent, so reflecting across a diagonal sends each side onto a side of the same length. A square therefore has four lines of symmetry: two through side midpoints and two along the diagonals. In general a regular \( n \)-gon has \( n \) lines of symmetry, and the square is the case \( n = 4 \).

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Reflect \( (4, 7) \) across the \( x \) axis.
    Show the full solution

    \( (4, -7) \)

  2. Reflect \( (4, 7) \) across the \( y \) axis.
    Show the full solution

    \( (-4, 7) \)

  3. Reflect \( (3, 8) \) across \( y = x \).
    Show the full solution

    Swap the coordinates. \( (8, 3) \)

  4. How many lines of symmetry does an equilateral triangle have?
    Show the full solution

    Three

  5. Which points are fixed by a reflection?
    Show the full solution

    Exactly the points on the line of reflection

  6. Reflect the triangle \( (1,2) \), \( (4,2) \), \( (1,6) \) across the \( y \) axis, and confirm the side lengths are unchanged.
    Show the full solution

    Images: \( (-1,2) \), \( (-4,2) \), \( (-1,6) \). Original sides: 3 horizontal, 4 vertical, and \( \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \) for the third. Image sides: from \( (-1,2) \) to \( (-4,2) \) is 3; from \( (-1,2) \) to \( (-1,6) \) is 4; from \( (-4,2) \) to \( (-1,6) \) is \( \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \). All unchanged. Orientation, however, is reversed: the original vertices in the order given run counterclockwise, and the images run clockwise. Images \( (-1,2) \), \( (-4,2) \), \( (-1,6) \); sides 3, 4, 5 in both

  7. Reflect \( (5, -2) \) across \( y = -x \).
    Show the full solution

    The rule is \( (x, y) \to (-y, -x) \), so \( (5, -2) \to (2, -5) \). Check with the definition. The midpoint of the segment from \( (5,-2) \) to \( (2,-5) \) is \( \left( \dfrac{7}{2}, -\dfrac{7}{2} \right) \), which satisfies \( y = -x \). And the segment has slope \( \dfrac{-5 - (-2)}{2 - 5} = \dfrac{-3}{-3} = 1 \), while the line \( y = -x \) has slope \( -1 \), and \( 1 \times (-1) = -1 \), so they are perpendicular. Both conditions hold. \( (2, -5) \)

  8. How many lines of symmetry does a regular hexagon have, and describe them.
    Show the full solution

    Six, which is the general result for a regular \( n \)-gon. They come in two families here, because 6 is even. Three pass through pairs of opposite vertices. Reflecting across one of these fixes two vertices and swaps the other four in pairs. Three pass through the midpoints of pairs of opposite sides. Reflecting across one of these fixes no vertices and swaps all six in pairs. For a regular polygon with an odd number of sides the picture differs: each line of symmetry passes through one vertex and the midpoint of the opposite side, so there is only one family. An equilateral triangle is the smallest case. Six: three through opposite vertices and three through opposite side midpoints

  9. Explain why reflecting twice across the same line returns every point to its start.
    Show the full solution

    Take a point \( P \) not on the line \( \ell \), with image \( P' \). By the definition, \( \ell \) is the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{PP'} \). Now reflect \( P' \) across \( \ell \). Its image is the point \( P'' \) such that \( \ell \) is the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{P'P''} \). But \( P \) already has that property, and the perpendicular bisector condition determines the image uniquely: there is exactly one point on the perpendicular through \( P' \), at the same distance on the other side of \( \ell \). So \( P'' = P \). A point on \( \ell \) is fixed by the first reflection and therefore by the second, so it returns to itself trivially. Every point therefore comes back, and the composition is the identity. A reflection is its own inverse, which distinguishes it from a translation, where the inverse is a different translation, and from most rotations. The perpendicular bisector condition determines the image uniquely, so reflecting \( P' \) returns exactly \( P \)

  10. A reflection maps \( (1, 4) \) to \( (7, 4) \). Find the line of reflection, and use it to find the image of \( (3, 9) \).
    Show the full solution

    Find the line. By the definition, the line of reflection is the perpendicular bisector of the segment joining the point to its image. Midpoint of \( (1,4) \) and \( (7,4) \): \( \left( \dfrac{1+7}{2}, \dfrac{4+4}{2} \right) = (4, 4) \). The segment is horizontal, so its perpendicular bisector is vertical, and it passes through \( (4,4) \). The line is \( x = 4 \). Find the image of \( (3,9) \). Reflecting across the vertical line \( x = 4 \) leaves \( y \) alone and sends \( x \) to the mirror position. The point \( (3,9) \) is 1 unit left of the line, so its image is 1 unit right: \( (5, 9) \). In rule form, reflection across \( x = c \) is \( (x, y) \to (2c - x, y) \), and here \( 2(4) - 3 = 5 \). The same rule checks the given pair: \( 2(4) - 1 = 7 \). Correct. Line \( x = 4 \); the image of \( (3,9) \) is \( (5,9) \)

Lesson 4.4 · Unit 4 · G-CO.4, G-CO.5

Turning the plane about a point, and the figures that look the same afterward

A rotation turns every point about a fixed center through the same angle. Three coordinate rules cover the common cases about the origin, and each can be checked in two seconds by testing a single convenient point rather than trusting memory.

The method
  1. A rotation about a center \( O \) through angle \( \theta \) maps each point \( P \) to \( P' \) with \( OP = OP' \) and \( m\angle POP' = \theta \).
  2. Counterclockwise is positive by convention, and clockwise is negative.
  3. \( 90^\circ \) counterclockwise about the origin: \( (x, y) \to (-y, x) \).
  4. \( 180^\circ \) about the origin: \( (x, y) \to (-x, -y) \), the same either direction.
  5. \( 270^\circ \) counterclockwise about the origin, the same as \( 90^\circ \) clockwise: \( (x, y) \to (y, -x) \).
  6. Check any rule with the point \( (1, 0) \). A quarter turn counterclockwise should send it to \( (0, 1) \), which the first rule does.
  7. Rotations preserve distance, angle measure and orientation, and fix only the center.
  8. A figure has rotational symmetry of order \( n \) if it maps to itself under a rotation of \( \dfrac{360^\circ}{n} \) about its center.

Where students lose marks: using the clockwise rule when the question says counterclockwise. The two differ by which coordinate gets the minus sign. Testing \( (1,0) \) resolves it instantly: counterclockwise sends it up to \( (0,1) \), and clockwise sends it down to \( (0,-1) \).

Worked example

The problem. \( \triangle ABC \) has vertices \( A(3, 1) \), \( B(5, 1) \), \( C(3, 4) \). (a) Rotate \( 90^\circ \) counterclockwise about the origin. (b) Rotate the original \( 180^\circ \) about the origin. (c) Verify that the \( 90^\circ \) rotation preserved the distance from the origin and turned the point through a right angle. (d) State the rotational symmetry of a square and of a regular pentagon.

Step one: confirm the rule for (a) before using it. The claimed rule is \( (x,y) \to (-y, x) \). Test it on \( (1, 0) \), a point on the positive \( x \) axis: it gives \( (0, 1) \), a point on the positive \( y \) axis, which is a quarter turn counterclockwise. The rule is right.

Step two: apply it. \( A(3,1) \to A'(-1, 3) \); \( B(5,1) \to B'(-1, 5) \); \( C(3,4) \to C'(-4, 3) \).

Step three: apply the rule for (b). A half turn is \( (x,y) \to (-x,-y) \). \( A(3,1) \to A''(-3,-1) \); \( B(5,1) \to B''(-5,-1) \); \( C(3,4) \to C''(-3,-4) \). Testing the rule on \( (1,0) \): it gives \( (-1, 0) \), directly opposite, which is a half turn. Correct.

Step four: begin (c) by checking the distance from the origin. \( OA \): from \( (0,0) \) to \( (3,1) \), so \( OA = \sqrt{9 + 1} = \sqrt{10} \). \( OA' \): from \( (0,0) \) to \( (-1,3) \), so \( OA' = \sqrt{1 + 9} = \sqrt{10} \). Equal, as a rotation requires: every point stays the same distance from the center.

Step five: check the angle turned. The slope of \( \overline{OA} \) is \( \dfrac{1}{3} \), and the slope of \( \overline{OA'} \) is \( \dfrac{3}{-1} = -3 \). Their product is \( \dfrac{1}{3} \times (-3) = -1 \), so the two segments are perpendicular and the point has turned through exactly \( 90^\circ \). Both conditions of the definition hold: same distance from the center, and a right angle at the center.

Step six: check that the side lengths survived. \( AB \): from \( (3,1) \) to \( (5,1) \), length 2. \( A'B' \): from \( (-1,3) \) to \( (-1,5) \), length 2. Unchanged. Note the orientation of the side changed from horizontal to vertical, which is what a quarter turn does, while the length did not.

Step seven: answer (d) for the square. Rotating a square about its center by \( 90^\circ \) sends each vertex to the next one around, and the figure lands exactly on itself. The same is true for \( 180^\circ \) and \( 270^\circ \), and \( 360^\circ \) returns everything to the start. So there are four rotations mapping the square to itself, and it has rotational symmetry of order 4, with smallest angle \( \dfrac{360^\circ}{4} = 90^\circ \).

Step eight: answer (d) for the pentagon and state the general rule. A regular pentagon has five vertices evenly spaced, so rotating by \( \dfrac{360^\circ}{5} = 72^\circ \) sends each to the next and maps the figure to itself. Order 5. In general a regular \( n \)-gon has rotational symmetry of order \( n \) with smallest angle \( \dfrac{360^\circ}{n} \), and also \( n \) lines of symmetry from lesson 4.3. A figure with rotational symmetry of order 2, mapping to itself under a half turn, is often said to have point symmetry; the parallelogram of unit 7 is the standard example.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Rotate \( (2, 5) \) by \( 90^\circ \) counterclockwise about the origin.
    Show the full solution

    \( (x,y) \to (-y, x) \). \( (-5, 2) \)

  2. Rotate \( (2, 5) \) by \( 180^\circ \) about the origin.
    Show the full solution

    \( (-2, -5) \)

  3. Rotate \( (2, 5) \) by \( 270^\circ \) counterclockwise about the origin.
    Show the full solution

    \( (x,y) \to (y, -x) \). \( (5, -2) \)

  4. What is the smallest rotation mapping a regular octagon to itself?
    Show the full solution

    \( 360 \div 8 \). \( 45^\circ \)

  5. Which point is fixed by a rotation?
    Show the full solution

    Only the center

  6. Rotate the triangle \( (1,1) \), \( (4,1) \), \( (1,3) \) by \( 90^\circ \) counterclockwise about the origin, and confirm the side lengths.
    Show the full solution

    Applying \( (x,y) \to (-y,x) \): \( (1,1) \to (-1,1) \); \( (4,1) \to (-1,4) \); \( (1,3) \to (-3,1) \). Original sides: 3 horizontal, 2 vertical, and \( \sqrt{9 + 4} = \sqrt{13} \). Image sides: from \( (-1,1) \) to \( (-1,4) \) is 3; from \( (-1,1) \) to \( (-3,1) \) is 2; from \( (-1,4) \) to \( (-3,1) \) is \( \sqrt{4 + 9} = \sqrt{13} \). All three preserved, and the horizontal side became vertical, as a quarter turn requires. Images \( (-1,1) \), \( (-1,4) \), \( (-3,1) \)

  7. What is the order of rotational symmetry of a parallelogram that is not a rectangle?
    Show the full solution

    Rotating a parallelogram \( 180^\circ \) about the intersection of its diagonals sends each vertex to the opposite one, and the figure lands on itself. That is one nontrivial rotation. A \( 90^\circ \) rotation does not work in general, since it would send a side onto an adjacent side, and in a non-rectangular parallelogram adjacent sides usually have different lengths and always meet at a non-right angle. So the rotations mapping the figure to itself are \( 180^\circ \) and \( 360^\circ \), giving order 2. A figure of order 2 is said to have point symmetry. Note that a general parallelogram has no lines of symmetry at all, so rotational and reflective symmetry are genuinely independent properties. Order 2, with a \( 180^\circ \) rotation about the diagonal intersection

  8. A rotation of \( 90^\circ \) counterclockwise about the origin maps \( P \) to \( (6, -2) \). Find \( P \).
    Show the full solution

    The rotation rule is \( (x, y) \to (-y, x) \), so if \( P = (x, y) \) then \( (-y, x) = (6, -2) \). Matching coordinates: \( -y = 6 \) gives \( y = -6 \), and \( x = -2 \). So \( P = (-2, -6) \). Check by applying the rule forward: \( (-2, -6) \to (6, -2) \). Correct. An alternative route is to undo the rotation, which means rotating \( (6,-2) \) by \( 90^\circ \) clockwise using \( (x,y) \to (y,-x) \), giving \( (-2, -6) \). The same answer, and often quicker. \( P(-2, -6) \)

  9. Explain why a \( 180^\circ \) rotation has the same rule clockwise and counterclockwise.
    Show the full solution

    Turning a half turn one way and a half turn the other way both bring a point to the position diametrically opposite the center, so they land in the same place. Concretely, going counterclockwise by \( 180^\circ \) and clockwise by \( 180^\circ \) differ by a full \( 360^\circ \) turn, which returns every point to where it started. Two rotations differing by a full turn are the same transformation. In coordinates, counterclockwise \( 180^\circ \) is \( (x,y) \to (-x,-y) \). Applying the counterclockwise \( 90^\circ \) rule twice gives \( (x,y) \to (-y,x) \to (-x,-y) \), and applying the clockwise \( 90^\circ \) rule twice gives \( (x,y) \to (y,-x) \to (-x,-y) \). Identical. This is the only rotation angle with this property. A \( 90^\circ \) turn and a \( 270^\circ \) turn go to different places, which is why direction has to be stated for every angle except \( 180^\circ \). The two differ by a full turn, which is the identity, so they are the same transformation

  10. Rotate \( (5, 2) \) by \( 90^\circ \) counterclockwise about the point \( (1, 1) \) rather than the origin.
    Show the full solution

    The coordinate rules are stated for the origin, so the problem is solved by moving the center to the origin, rotating, and moving back. Step one: translate so the center goes to the origin. Subtract \( (1,1) \) from the point: \( (5 - 1, 2 - 1) = (4, 1) \). Step two: rotate about the origin. Apply \( (x,y) \to (-y,x) \): \( (4,1) \to (-1, 4) \). Step three: translate back. Add \( (1,1) \): \( (-1 + 1, 4 + 1) = (0, 5) \). Check the two conditions of a rotation. Distance from the center \( (1,1) \) to the original \( (5,2) \): differences 4 and 1, so \( \sqrt{16 + 1} = \sqrt{17} \). Distance from \( (1,1) \) to the image \( (0,5) \): differences \( -1 \) and 4, so \( \sqrt{1 + 16} = \sqrt{17} \). Equal. Slopes from the center: to \( (5,2) \) the slope is \( \dfrac{1}{4} \); to \( (0,5) \) it is \( \dfrac{4}{-1} = -4 \). Product: \( \dfrac{1}{4} \times (-4) = -1 \), so the two radii are perpendicular and the turn is a right angle. Both conditions hold, confirming the image. This translate-rotate-translate pattern handles any center, and lesson 4.5 uses the same idea for compositions generally. \( (0, 5) \)

Lesson 4.5 · Unit 4 · G-CO.5

Doing one after another, and what the combination turns out to be

Applying two transformations in sequence gives a composition, and the result is often a single transformation of a different kind. Two reflections make a translation or a rotation depending on the lines, which is the most surprising and most useful fact in the unit.

The method
  1. A composition applies one transformation and then another to the result.
  2. Order matters in general. Reflecting then translating is usually not the same as translating then reflecting.
  3. Work left to right in the order stated, applying the first transformation to the preimage and the second to that image.
  4. Label carefully: \( A \to A' \to A'' \), so the second image carries two primes.
  5. A composition of rigid motions is rigid, since each step preserves distance.
  6. Two reflections in parallel lines give a translation of twice the distance between the lines, in the direction perpendicular to them.
  7. Two reflections in intersecting lines give a rotation about the intersection point, through twice the angle between the lines.
  8. A glide reflection is a reflection followed by a translation parallel to the line of reflection, and these commute with each other.

Where students lose marks: applying the transformations in the wrong order. "Reflect across the \( x \) axis, then translate by \( \langle 2, 0 \rangle \)" means reflect first. Reading the instruction as a single sentence and doing the last thing named first is a common slip.

Worked example

The problem. Start with \( P(2, 3) \). (a) Reflect across the \( x \) axis, then reflect across the \( y \) axis. Identify the composition. (b) Reflect across the \( y \) axis first, then the \( x \) axis. Compare. (c) Reflect across \( x = 1 \), then across \( x = 4 \). Identify the composition. (d) Explain the general rule the results illustrate.

Step one: do the first reflection in (a). Across the \( x \) axis, \( (x, y) \to (x, -y) \), so \( P(2,3) \to P'(2, -3) \).

Step two: do the second. Across the \( y \) axis, \( (x, y) \to (-x, y) \), so \( P'(2,-3) \to P''(-2, -3) \).

Step three: identify the composition in (a). The net effect took \( (2,3) \) to \( (-2,-3) \), which negated both coordinates. That is the rule \( (x,y) \to (-x,-y) \), a rotation of \( 180^\circ \) about the origin. The two axes intersect at the origin at \( 90^\circ \), and twice \( 90^\circ \) is \( 180^\circ \), which matches the rule in the method.

Step four: do (b) in the other order. Across the \( y \) axis first: \( P(2,3) \to (-2, 3) \). Then across the \( x \) axis: \( (-2,3) \to (-2, -3) \). The same final point. Here the order did not matter, because the two lines are perpendicular and the rotation is a half turn, which is its own reverse. For lines meeting at any other angle, the two orders give rotations in opposite directions and the results differ.

Step five: do the first reflection in (c). Reflection across the vertical line \( x = 1 \) uses \( (x, y) \to (2 \cdot 1 - x, \; y) = (2 - x, y) \). So \( P(2,3) \to P'(0, 3) \). Check: \( P \) is 1 unit right of the line, and \( P' \) is 1 unit left. Correct.

Step six: do the second reflection in (c). Across \( x = 4 \), the rule is \( (x,y) \to (8 - x, y) \). So \( P'(0,3) \to P''(8, 3) \). Check: \( P' \) is 4 units left of \( x = 4 \), and \( P'' \) is 4 units right.

Step seven: identify the composition in (c). The net effect took \( (2,3) \) to \( (8,3) \), a move of 6 units right with no vertical change. That is a translation by \( \langle 6, 0 \rangle \). The two lines are parallel, 3 units apart, and \( 2 \times 3 = 6 \), matching the rule exactly. The direction is perpendicular to the lines, which for vertical lines means horizontal.

Step eight: state the general rule and check it once more. Two reflections in parallel lines a distance \( d \) apart compose to a translation of \( 2d \) perpendicular to them, in the direction from the first line to the second. Two reflections in lines meeting at an angle \( \theta \) compose to a rotation about the intersection through \( 2\theta \), in the direction from the first line to the second. A second check on (c): reversing the order, reflecting across \( x = 4 \) first sends \( (2,3) \) to \( (6,3) \), and then across \( x = 1 \) gives \( (-4, 3) \), a translation of 6 units left. Same magnitude, opposite direction, confirming that the direction depends on the order. The deeper point is that every rigid motion of the plane can be written as a composition of at most three reflections, which is why lesson 4.7 can define congruence using rigid motions without listing infinitely many possibilities.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Does order matter in a composition?
    Show the full solution

    Usually yes

  2. Two reflections in parallel lines compose to what?
    Show the full solution

    A translation

  3. Two reflections in intersecting lines compose to what?
    Show the full solution

    A rotation about their intersection

  4. Is a composition of rigid motions rigid?
    Show the full solution

    Yes

  5. What is a glide reflection?
    Show the full solution

    A reflection followed by a translation parallel to the line of reflection

  6. Apply to \( (3, -1) \): reflect across the \( y \) axis, then translate by \( \langle 2, 5 \rangle \).
    Show the full solution

    First the reflection: \( (3,-1) \to (-3, -1) \). Then the translation: \( (-3 + 2, -1 + 5) = (-1, 4) \). \( (-1, 4) \)

  7. Apply the same two transformations in the opposite order and compare.
    Show the full solution

    First the translation: \( (3,-1) \to (5, 4) \). Then the reflection across the \( y \) axis: \( (5,4) \to (-5, 4) \). The previous problem gave \( (-1, 4) \); this order gives \( (-5, 4) \). Different. The reason: the translation moves the point 2 units right, and reflecting afterward converts that into 2 units further left of the axis, whereas reflecting first puts the point on the left and then moves it 2 units back toward the axis. The horizontal component is affected by the reflection and the order therefore matters. The vertical component is unaffected, which is why both answers have \( y = 4 \). \( (-5, 4) \), different from \( (-1, 4) \)

  8. Reflect \( (4, 2) \) across \( y = 1 \), then across \( y = 5 \). Identify the composition.
    Show the full solution

    Reflection across the horizontal line \( y = c \) is \( (x,y) \to (x, 2c - y) \). Across \( y = 1 \): \( (4, 2) \to (4, 2 - 2) = (4, 0) \). Across \( y = 5 \): \( (4, 0) \to (4, 10 - 0) = (4, 10) \). Net effect: \( (4,2) \to (4,10) \), a move of 8 units up with no horizontal change. That is a translation by \( \langle 0, 8 \rangle \). Checking against the rule: the lines are parallel and 4 units apart, and \( 2 \times 4 = 8 \), in the direction from the first line to the second, which is upward. Confirmed. A translation by \( \langle 0, 8 \rangle \)

  9. Explain why two reflections in parallel lines give a translation of twice the distance between them.
    Show the full solution

    Set the two vertical lines at \( x = p \) and \( x = q \), with \( q \gt p \), so the distance between them is \( d = q - p \). Reflecting across \( x = p \) sends a point \( (x, y) \) to \( (2p - x, y) \). Reflecting that across \( x = q \) sends it to \( (2q - (2p - x), \; y) = (2q - 2p + x, \; y) = (x + 2(q - p), \; y) \). So the net rule is \( (x, y) \to (x + 2d, \; y) \), a translation of \( 2d \) horizontally, which is perpendicular to the vertical lines. The \( y \) coordinate never changed, and the result does not depend on \( x \), which is what makes it a translation rather than something more complicated. Geometrically: the first reflection moves a point to the far side of the first line, and the second moves it to the far side of the second. The two moves are in the same direction and their combined effect is the full width of the strip counted twice. The direction matters: reflecting in \( x = q \) first and then \( x = p \) gives a translation of \( 2d \) in the opposite direction, which is why the order changes the answer. The algebra gives \( x \to x + 2(q-p) \); both reflections push the point the same way, across the strip and then across it again

  10. A glide reflection reflects across the \( x \) axis and translates by \( \langle 3, 0 \rangle \). Apply it twice to \( (1, 4) \) and describe the result.
    Show the full solution

    First application. Reflect: \( (1,4) \to (1, -4) \). Translate: \( (1 + 3, -4) = (4, -4) \). Second application. Reflect: \( (4,-4) \to (4, 4) \). Translate: \( (4 + 3, 4) = (7, 4) \). The result. The point went from \( (1,4) \) to \( (7,4) \), a translation of 6 units right with no vertical change. Applying a glide reflection twice gives a pure translation, of twice the glide vector. The reason is that the two reflections cancel: reflecting across the same line twice is the identity, as lesson 4.3 established. What survives is the two translations, which add. This works because the translation is parallel to the line of reflection, so the two parts do not interfere; that parallelism is part of the definition of a glide reflection. Note also that a glide reflection reverses orientation, since it contains one reflection, and applying it twice restores orientation, consistent with the result being a translation. \( (7,4) \), a translation by \( \langle 6, 0 \rangle \); the two reflections cancel and the translations add

Lesson 4.6 · Unit 4 · G-CO.3

Describing a figure by the motions that leave it unchanged

Symmetry is usually taught as a property you can see. Described properly it is a list of transformations: the reflections and rotations that map a figure exactly onto itself. That description is precise enough to be checked and to be counted.

The method
  1. A figure has line symmetry if some reflection maps it onto itself, and that line is a line of symmetry.
  2. A figure has rotational symmetry if some rotation of less than \( 360^\circ \) maps it onto itself.
  3. The order of rotational symmetry is the number of rotations from \( 0^\circ \) up to and including \( 360^\circ \) that work, so every figure has order at least 1.
  4. A figure with order 2 has point symmetry, mapping to itself under a half turn.
  5. A regular \( n \)-gon has \( n \) lines of symmetry and rotational symmetry of order \( n \).
  6. The two kinds are independent. A parallelogram has rotational symmetry and no line symmetry; an isosceles trapezoid has line symmetry and no rotational symmetry.
  7. To find a line of symmetry, test whether reflecting maps every vertex to a vertex, not merely whether the halves look similar.
  8. To find the order, divide \( 360^\circ \) by the smallest angle that works.

Where students lose marks: claiming a diagonal of a non-square rectangle is a line of symmetry. Reflecting across it would send a long side onto a short side, and a reflection preserves length, so it cannot. Test with a vertex rather than by eye.

Worked example

The problem. For each figure, give the number of lines of symmetry and the order of rotational symmetry: a square, a non-square rectangle, a general parallelogram, an isosceles trapezoid, a regular hexagon, and a scalene triangle.

Step one: the square. Four lines of symmetry: two through the midpoints of opposite sides, two along the diagonals. Rotational symmetry of order 4, since \( 90^\circ \), \( 180^\circ \), \( 270^\circ \) and \( 360^\circ \) all map it to itself. This is the regular 4-gon, so both counts equal 4, as the general rule predicts.

Step two: the non-square rectangle. Two lines of symmetry, through the midpoints of opposite sides. The diagonals fail: reflecting a 3 by 5 rectangle across a diagonal would carry a side of length 3 onto one of length 5, which no reflection can do. Rotational symmetry of order 2, since \( 180^\circ \) works and \( 90^\circ \) does not, as it would swap the long and short sides.

Step three: the general parallelogram. No lines of symmetry at all. Reflecting across either diagonal fails because the two triangles on either side of a diagonal, while congruent, are related by a half turn rather than a reflection: they have opposite orientation to what a reflection would produce. Reflecting across a line through opposite side midpoints fails because the sides are slanted rather than perpendicular to that line. Rotational symmetry of order 2, about the intersection of the diagonals. So this figure has point symmetry and no line symmetry.

Step four: the isosceles trapezoid. One line of symmetry, the vertical line through the midpoints of the two parallel sides. Reflecting across it swaps the two legs, which are congruent, and swaps the two base angles at each base, which are congruent. Rotational symmetry of order 1, meaning none beyond the full turn: a half turn would send the shorter parallel side to where the longer one is, and they have different lengths. So this figure has line symmetry and no rotational symmetry, the opposite pattern to the parallelogram.

Step five: the regular hexagon. Six lines of symmetry: three through opposite vertices and three through opposite side midpoints. Rotational symmetry of order 6, with smallest angle \( \dfrac{360^\circ}{6} = 60^\circ \). Again both counts equal \( n \).

Step six: the scalene triangle. No lines of symmetry, since all three sides have different lengths and any reflection would have to match a side with a different one. Rotational symmetry of order 1, that is, none. This is the least symmetric case.

Step seven: tabulate and look for the pattern. Square: 4 and 4. Rectangle: 2 and 2. Parallelogram: 0 and 2. Isosceles trapezoid: 1 and 1. Regular hexagon: 6 and 6. Scalene triangle: 0 and 1. Where a figure is regular the two numbers agree. Where it is not, they can differ in either direction, which is why both have to be checked separately.

Step eight: state the test that decides each case. For a line of symmetry, pick a vertex, reflect it across the candidate line, and ask whether the image is also a vertex of the figure. If any vertex fails, the line is not a line of symmetry. For rotational symmetry, rotate one vertex by the candidate angle about the center and ask the same question. Both tests are decisive and neither relies on how the figure looks, which is what makes them usable on a figure drawn badly or described only by coordinates.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. How many lines of symmetry does a regular pentagon have?
    Show the full solution

    Five

  2. What is the order of rotational symmetry of a regular pentagon?
    Show the full solution

    5

  3. How many lines of symmetry does a circle have?
    Show the full solution

    Every line through the center works. Infinitely many

  4. Does a general parallelogram have line symmetry?
    Show the full solution

    No

  5. What order of rotational symmetry means point symmetry?
    Show the full solution

    Order 2

  6. Describe all the symmetry of a rhombus that is not a square.
    Show the full solution

    Lines of symmetry: two, along the diagonals. Reflecting across a diagonal swaps the two triangles it creates, and they are congruent because all four sides of a rhombus are congruent. The lines through opposite side midpoints fail, unlike in a rectangle, because the sides are not perpendicular to those lines. Rotational symmetry: order 2, by a half turn about the intersection of the diagonals. A quarter turn fails because the two diagonals of a non-square rhombus have different lengths, so a quarter turn would send the long diagonal onto the short one. Comparing with the rectangle: both have two lines of symmetry and order 2, but the lines are in different places, along the diagonals for a rhombus and through side midpoints for a rectangle. The square is the figure that has both sets, giving four. Two lines of symmetry along the diagonals, rotational symmetry of order 2

  7. A figure has rotational symmetry of order 3. What is its smallest angle of rotational symmetry?
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{360^\circ}{3} = 120^\circ \). The full set of rotations mapping it to itself is \( 120^\circ \), \( 240^\circ \) and \( 360^\circ \), which is three of them, matching the order. An equilateral triangle is the standard example, and so is a three-bladed propeller shape, which has order 3 without having any line symmetry at all. \( 120^\circ \)

  8. Explain why a diagonal of a non-square rectangle is not a line of symmetry.
    Show the full solution

    Take a rectangle with vertices \( A \), \( B \), \( C \), \( D \) in order, with \( AB = 5 \) and \( BC = 3 \), and consider the diagonal \( \overline{AC} \). A reflection across \( \overline{AC} \) fixes \( A \) and \( C \), since they lie on the line. It must therefore send \( B \) to \( D \), the only other vertex available. But a reflection preserves distance, so it would need \( AB = AD \). In this rectangle \( AB = 5 \) and \( AD = 3 \), which are different. The reflection cannot do it, so the diagonal is not a line of symmetry. The argument also shows exactly when it does work: if \( AB = AD \), the rectangle is a square, and then the diagonals are lines of symmetry. That is why a square has four and a rectangle two. The general lesson is the one the method states: test a vertex rather than judging by eye. A diagonal divides a rectangle into two congruent triangles, which makes it look like a line of symmetry, but the two triangles are related by a half turn rather than by a reflection. The reflection would fix \( A \) and send \( B \) to \( D \), requiring \( AB = AD \), which holds only for a square

  9. A regular polygon has rotational symmetry with smallest angle \( 24^\circ \). How many sides does it have, and how many lines of symmetry?
    Show the full solution

    The smallest angle of rotational symmetry for a regular \( n \)-gon is \( \dfrac{360^\circ}{n} \), so \( \dfrac{360}{n} = 24 \), giving \( n = \dfrac{360}{24} = 15 \). A regular 15-gon therefore, with rotational symmetry of order 15. A regular \( n \)-gon has \( n \) lines of symmetry, so it has 15 lines of symmetry. Since 15 is odd, each line passes through one vertex and the midpoint of the opposite side, as with an equilateral triangle or a regular pentagon. Even-sided regular polygons have two families instead. 15 sides and 15 lines of symmetry

  10. Give a figure with line symmetry but no rotational symmetry, and one with rotational symmetry but no line symmetry, and explain both.
    Show the full solution

    Line symmetry without rotational symmetry: an isosceles trapezoid. The vertical line through the midpoints of the two parallel sides is a line of symmetry: reflecting across it swaps the two congruent legs and swaps the base angles at each base, so the figure lands on itself. No rotation works. A half turn would send the shorter parallel side to the position of the longer one, and those have different lengths, which a rigid motion cannot do. Any smaller angle would not even send a vertex to a vertex. A non-equilateral isosceles triangle is another example, with one line of symmetry and no rotational symmetry. Rotational symmetry without line symmetry: a general parallelogram. A half turn about the intersection of the diagonals maps each vertex to the opposite one and the figure to itself, giving order 2. No reflection works. Reflecting across a diagonal would need the two sides meeting at a vertex on that diagonal to be congruent, which they are not in a general parallelogram. Reflecting across a line through opposite side midpoints would need the sides to be perpendicular to that line, which they are not unless the figure is a rectangle. A pinwheel or propeller shape is another example, with high rotational symmetry and no lines at all. Isosceles trapezoid has one line and no rotational symmetry; a general parallelogram has order 2 rotational symmetry and no lines

Lesson 4.7 · Unit 4 · G-CO.6, G-CO.7, G-CO.8

What congruent actually means, and where the triangle criteria come from

Congruent is usually explained as "same size and shape," which is a description rather than a definition and cannot be used in a proof. The standards define it precisely: two figures are congruent when some sequence of rigid motions carries one onto the other. Unit 5 then follows from that definition.

The method
  1. Two figures are congruent when there is a sequence of rigid motions mapping one exactly onto the other.
  2. This is a definition, so it works in both directions: congruence gives a sequence, and a sequence gives congruence.
  3. To prove two figures congruent, exhibit the sequence, naming each transformation and checking that every vertex lands correctly.
  4. Since rigid motions preserve distance and angle, congruent figures have congruent corresponding sides and angles.
  5. The converse also holds for triangles: if corresponding sides and angles match, a sequence of rigid motions exists.
  6. The triangle criteria follow from this. SSS, SAS and ASA each give enough information to construct the sequence, which is why three facts suffice rather than six.
  7. Orientation tells you whether a reflection is needed. Same orientation means translations and rotations suffice; opposite orientation requires a reflection.
  8. Check a claimed sequence vertex by vertex, since a sequence that works for two vertices may fail for the third.

Where students lose marks: writing a congruence statement whose letters do not correspond. If the sequence sends \( A \) to \( D \), \( B \) to \( E \) and \( C \) to \( F \), the statement is \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle DEF \). Writing \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle EDF \) claims \( A \) corresponds to \( E \), which is false, and every conclusion drawn from it is then wrong.

Worked example

The problem. \( \triangle ABC \) has vertices \( A(1,1) \), \( B(4,1) \), \( C(1,5) \). \( \triangle DEF \) has vertices \( D(1,-1) \), \( E(4,-1) \), \( F(1,-5) \). (a) Find a sequence of rigid motions mapping \( \triangle ABC \) to \( \triangle DEF \). (b) Write the congruence statement. (c) Verify that corresponding sides are congruent. (d) Explain why three pieces of information suffice for triangle congruence.

Step one: compare the coordinates for a pattern. \( A(1,1) \) and \( D(1,-1) \): same \( x \), opposite \( y \). \( B(4,1) \) and \( E(4,-1) \): same pattern. \( C(1,5) \) and \( F(1,-5) \): same pattern. The rule appears to be \( (x, y) \to (x, -y) \).

Step two: identify the transformation. That rule is reflection across the \( x \) axis, from lesson 4.3. So a single rigid motion does the job; no sequence of several is needed.

Step three: verify vertex by vertex. \( A(1,1) \to (1,-1) = D \). Correct. \( B(4,1) \to (4,-1) = E \). Correct. \( C(1,5) \to (1,-5) = F \). Correct. All three land where they should, which is what the method requires: checking two and assuming the third is how a wrong sequence survives.

Step four: answer (b) using the correspondence just verified. The transformation sent \( A \to D \), \( B \to E \), \( C \to F \), so the congruence statement is \[ \triangle ABC \cong \triangle DEF \] The letters are in the order the correspondence dictates, not in alphabetical order by accident.

Step five: begin (c) with the sides of the preimage. \( AB \): from \( (1,1) \) to \( (4,1) \), length 3. \( AC \): from \( (1,1) \) to \( (1,5) \), length 4. \( BC \): from \( (4,1) \) to \( (1,5) \), differences \( -3 \) and 4, so \( \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \).

Step six: compute the image sides and compare. \( DE \): from \( (1,-1) \) to \( (4,-1) \), length 3. Matches \( AB \). \( DF \): from \( (1,-1) \) to \( (1,-5) \), length 4. Matches \( AC \). \( EF \): from \( (4,-1) \) to \( (1,-5) \), differences \( -3 \) and \( -4 \), so \( \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \). Matches \( BC \). All three pairs congruent, as a rigid motion guarantees.

Step seven: note the orientation. Reading \( A \), \( B \), \( C \) in order traces the triangle counterclockwise; reading \( D \), \( E \), \( F \) traces it clockwise. Orientation was reversed, which is consistent with the transformation being a reflection. Had the two triangles had the same orientation, no reflection would have been needed and a translation or rotation alone would have sufficed.

Step eight: answer (d). A triangle has six parts, three sides and three angles, and matching all six certainly gives congruence. The criteria of unit 5 say that three well-chosen parts are enough, and the reason is the definition just used. Given SSS, for instance: place the two triangles so one pair of corresponding vertices coincides, which a translation does. Rotate so one pair of corresponding sides lies along the same ray, which the congruence of those sides makes possible. The third vertex is now determined up to reflection across that line, because it must be a specific distance from each of the two placed vertices, and exactly two points satisfy that. A reflection if necessary brings it to the right one. So three sides determine the sequence, and the other three parts have no freedom left. That is why SSS is a criterion rather than a coincidence, and the same style of argument underlies SAS and ASA.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Define congruent using rigid motions.
    Show the full solution

    Two figures are congruent when a sequence of rigid motions maps one onto the other

  2. If \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle DEF \), which side corresponds to \( \overline{AB} \)?
    Show the full solution

    \( \overline{DE} \)

  3. What does reversed orientation indicate about the sequence?
    Show the full solution

    It includes a reflection

  4. How many parts does a triangle have?
    Show the full solution

    Six: three sides and three angles

  5. If a rigid motion maps \( P \) to \( Q \), what is true of any distance from \( P \)?
    Show the full solution

    It is preserved

  6. \( \triangle ABC \) has \( A(0,0) \), \( B(3,0) \), \( C(0,4) \). \( \triangle PQR \) has \( P(5,2) \), \( Q(8,2) \), \( R(5,6) \). Find the rigid motion and write the congruence statement.
    Show the full solution

    Compare coordinates: \( A(0,0) \to P(5,2) \) adds 5 and 2. Check the others: \( B(3,0) + (5,2) = (8,2) = Q \). Correct. \( C(0,4) + (5,2) = (5,6) = R \). Correct. The transformation is a translation by \( \langle 5, 2 \rangle \). Since the correspondence is \( A \to P \), \( B \to Q \), \( C \to R \), the statement is \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle PQR \). Orientation is unchanged, consistent with a translation containing no reflection. Translation by \( \langle 5,2 \rangle \); \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle PQR \)

  7. \( \triangle ABC \) has \( A(1,2) \), \( B(4,2) \), \( C(1,6) \). \( \triangle XYZ \) has \( X(-1,2) \), \( Y(-4,2) \), \( Z(-1,6) \). Identify the motion.
    Show the full solution

    Each image has the same \( y \) and the opposite \( x \): \( (1,2) \to (-1,2) \), \( (4,2) \to (-4,2) \), \( (1,6) \to (-1,6) \). The rule is \( (x,y) \to (-x, y) \), reflection across the \( y \) axis. Verify all three vertices land correctly: they do. Congruence statement: \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle XYZ \). Orientation is reversed, as a reflection requires, which is a useful independent check on the identification. Reflection across the \( y \) axis

  8. Why is "same size and shape" not adequate as a definition of congruence?
    Show the full solution

    It is a description of what congruence feels like rather than a statement a proof can use. "Size" and "shape" are not themselves defined, so the phrase explains one undefined idea with two more. More practically, it gives no procedure. Faced with two figures, there is nothing to check and no way to settle a disagreement. The rigid motion definition gives an exact test: either a sequence of translations, reflections and rotations carries one figure onto the other, or it does not, and exhibiting the sequence settles it. The definition is also what makes the triangle criteria provable. SSS is not an additional assumption; it is a theorem, derived by showing that three pairs of congruent sides are enough to build the sequence. From "same size and shape" no such derivation is possible. Finally, the rigid motion definition extends to figures other than triangles and to three dimensions without change, which a shape-based description does not do cleanly. It defines one vague idea with two others, gives no test to apply, and cannot support a proof of the triangle criteria

  9. \( \triangle ABC \) with \( A(2,1) \), \( B(5,1) \), \( C(2,3) \) maps to \( \triangle DEF \) with \( D(-1,2) \), \( E(-1,5) \), \( F(-3,2) \). Find the sequence.
    Show the full solution

    Look for a rotation first, since the horizontal side became vertical. Try \( 90^\circ \) counterclockwise about the origin, \( (x,y) \to (-y, x) \): \( A(2,1) \to (-1, 2) = D \). Correct. \( B(5,1) \to (-1, 5) = E \). Correct. \( C(2,3) \to (-3, 2) = F \). Correct. All three vertices land on target with a single transformation, so the sequence is one rotation of \( 90^\circ \) counterclockwise about the origin. Checking orientation: \( A, B, C \) runs counterclockwise and \( D, E, F \) also runs counterclockwise, consistent with a rotation, which preserves orientation. Had orientation flipped, a rotation alone could not have been the answer. Congruence statement: \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle DEF \). A single rotation of \( 90^\circ \) counterclockwise about the origin

  10. Explain why SSS gives congruence, using the rigid motion definition.
    Show the full solution

    Suppose \( \triangle ABC \) and \( \triangle DEF \) have \( AB = DE \), \( BC = EF \) and \( AC = DF \). Build the sequence in three moves. Move one: translate. Translate \( \triangle ABC \) by the vector from \( A \) to \( D \). Now \( A \) coincides with \( D \), and the triangle is otherwise unchanged, since a translation is rigid. Move two: rotate. Rotate about \( D \) until the ray \( \overrightarrow{AB} \) lies along the ray \( \overrightarrow{DE} \). This is possible because a rotation can turn a ray to any direction about its endpoint. Since \( AB = DE \) and the rotation preserved that length, the point \( B \) now coincides exactly with \( E \), not merely lying in the same direction. Move three: reflect if necessary. Two vertices are now in place, so the third, currently at some point \( C' \), must satisfy \( DC' = AC = DF \) and \( EC' = BC = EF \). Exactly two points in the plane are at those two distances from \( D \) and \( E \), and they are reflections of each other across line \( DE \). One of them is \( F \). If \( C' \) is already \( F \), stop; if not, reflect across \( \overleftrightarrow{DE} \), which fixes \( D \) and \( E \) and sends \( C' \) to \( F \). The sequence, at most a translation then a rotation then a reflection, maps \( \triangle ABC \) exactly onto \( \triangle DEF \). By the definition, the triangles are congruent. Note what the argument used: only the three side lengths, and the fact that two circles centered at \( D \) and \( E \) meet in at most two points. Nothing about the angles was assumed, which is why they end up determined rather than needing to be given. Translate a vertex into place, rotate a side into place, and reflect if needed; the three given lengths leave the third vertex only two possible positions, which a reflection resolves

Unit 4 mixed review · 10 problems · all topics

Unit 4: Transformations and Congruence

Keep track of order in the compositions. Performing a sequence in the wrong order usually gives a different image.

  1. Which transformations are rigid motions?
    Show the full solution

    Translations, reflections and rotations

  2. Translate \( (3, -5) \) by the vector \( \langle -2, 4 \rangle \).
    Show the full solution

    \( (1, -1) \)

  3. Reflect \( (6, 2) \) across the \( x \)-axis.
    Show the full solution

    The \( y \)-coordinate changes sign. \( (6, -2) \)

  4. Rotate \( (4, 1) \) by \( 90^\circ \) counterclockwise about the origin.
    Show the full solution

    The rule is \( (x, y) \to (-y, x) \). \( (-1, 4) \)

  5. Rotate \( (4, 1) \) by \( 180^\circ \) about the origin.
    Show the full solution

    The rule is \( (x, y) \to (-x, -y) \). \( (-4, -1) \)

  6. Reflect \( (3, -7) \) across the line \( y = x \).
    Show the full solution

    The rule is \( (x, y) \to (y, x) \), which swaps the coordinates. \( (-7, 3) \)

  7. Reflect \( (2, 5) \) across the \( x \)-axis, then rotate the image \( 90^\circ \) counterclockwise about the origin.
    Show the full solution

    First: \( (2, 5) \to (2, -5) \). Then \( (x, y) \to (-y, x) \) gives \( (2, -5) \to (5, 2) \). Check the order matters: rotating first gives \( (2, 5) \to (-5, 2) \), and reflecting that gives \( (-5, -2) \). A different point, so composition is not commutative. \( (5, 2) \)

  8. Two parallel lines are 6 units apart. Describe the composition of reflections across them, in order.
    Show the full solution

    Reflecting across two parallel lines produces a translation perpendicular to them, through twice the distance between them. Distance: \( 2 \times 6 = 12 \) units, in the direction from the first line to the second. Note that a translation is a rigid motion, which it must be, since a composition of two rigid motions is rigid. It preserves orientation, which it must, since each reflection reverses orientation and two reversals restore it. A translation of 12 units perpendicular to the lines

  9. Describe the rotational symmetry of a regular octagon.
    Show the full solution

    A regular octagon maps onto itself under rotation about its center by any multiple of \( \dfrac{360}{8} = 45^\circ \). So it has 8-fold rotational symmetry, with the rotations of \( 45^\circ \), \( 90^\circ \), \( 135^\circ \), \( 180^\circ \), \( 225^\circ \), \( 270^\circ \), \( 315^\circ \) and \( 360^\circ \) all carrying it onto itself. It also has 8 lines of reflective symmetry, four through opposite vertices and four through the midpoints of opposite sides. A regular polygon with an even number of sides splits its lines of symmetry this way; one with an odd number has every line passing through a vertex and the opposite side's midpoint. 8-fold rotational symmetry, with the smallest rotation \( 45^\circ \)

  10. Triangle \( ABC \) has vertices \( A(1, 2) \), \( B(4, 2) \), \( C(4, 6) \), and triangle \( A'B'C' \) has \( A'(-1, -2) \), \( B'(-4, -2) \), \( C'(-4, -6) \). Specify a rigid motion mapping one to the other and confirm the triangles are congruent.
    Show the full solution

    Identify the transformation. Each image coordinate is the negative of the corresponding preimage coordinate: \( (1, 2) \to (-1, -2) \), \( (4, 2) \to (-4, -2) \), \( (4, 6) \to (-4, -6) \). That is the rule \( (x, y) \to (-x, -y) \), which is a rotation of \( 180^\circ \) about the origin. Confirm it is rigid. A rotation is a rigid motion, so it preserves all distances and angle measures. Verify by computing the sides. \( AB = \sqrt{(4 - 1)^2 + 0} = 3 \). \( BC = \sqrt{0 + (6 - 2)^2} = 4 \). \( AC = \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \). And for the image: \( A'B' = \sqrt{(-4 + 1)^2 + 0} = 3 \). \( B'C' = \sqrt{0 + (-6 + 2)^2} = 4 \). \( A'C' = \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \). All three pairs match. Conclude. A sequence of rigid motions, here a single rotation, maps \( \triangle ABC \) onto \( \triangle A'B'C' \), so the triangles are congruent by the definition of congruence in lesson 4.7. A check on orientation. A rotation preserves orientation, so the vertices run in the same rotational sense in both triangles. If they had run oppositely, the transformation would have had to include a reflection, and a single rotation could not have accounted for it. A note on the triangle. Both are 3-4-5 right triangles, with the right angle at \( B \) and at \( B' \), which is consistent with angle measures being preserved. A rotation of \( 180^\circ \) about the origin; the triangles are congruent by the rigid-motion definition

Lesson 5.1 · Unit 5 · G-CO.7

The correspondence the letters encode

A congruence statement is not a label; it is six claims compressed into one line. The order of the letters says which vertex matches which, and reading those six claims out of the statement is the first thing every proof in this unit does.

The method
  1. Congruent figures have a correspondence under which every pair of corresponding parts is congruent.
  2. The order of the letters names the correspondence. In \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle DEF \), \( A \) corresponds to \( D \), \( B \) to \( E \), \( C \) to \( F \).
  3. Corresponding angles are at corresponding vertices: \( \angle A \cong \angle D \), \( \angle B \cong \angle E \), \( \angle C \cong \angle F \).
  4. Corresponding sides join corresponding vertices: \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{DE} \), \( \overline{BC} \cong \overline{EF} \), \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{DF} \).
  5. Six pairs of congruent parts come out of every congruence statement, three angles and three sides.
  6. Writing the letters in the wrong order makes the statement false, even if the triangles really are congruent.
  7. To find the correspondence from a diagram, match the parts that are marked congruent and read off which vertices they join.
  8. Check a congruence statement by listing the six pairs and confirming each is consistent with the markings.

Where students lose marks: writing the second triangle's vertices in alphabetical order rather than in correspondence order. If the correspondence sends \( A \to E \), \( B \to D \), \( C \to F \), the statement is \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle EDF \), and writing \( \triangle DEF \) claims something false.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Given \( \triangle PQR \cong \triangle STU \), list all six pairs of congruent parts. (b) A diagram shows \( \triangle ABC \) and \( \triangle XYZ \) with \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{YZ} \), \( \overline{BC} \cong \overline{ZX} \), \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{YX} \). Write the congruence statement. (c) If \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle DEF \) with \( m\angle A = 40^\circ \), \( m\angle B = 75^\circ \) and \( DF = 12 \), find \( m\angle F \) and \( AC \). (d) Explain why letter order matters.

Step one: read the correspondence in (a). The statement \( \triangle PQR \cong \triangle STU \) pairs the letters in position: \( P \to S \), \( Q \to T \), \( R \to U \).

Step two: list the three angle pairs. Angles sit at vertices, so they follow the vertex correspondence directly: \( \angle P \cong \angle S \), \( \angle Q \cong \angle T \), \( \angle R \cong \angle U \).

Step three: list the three side pairs. A side is named by its two endpoints, so translate each pair of letters: \( \overline{PQ} \cong \overline{ST} \), \( \overline{QR} \cong \overline{TU} \), \( \overline{PR} \cong \overline{SU} \). Six pairs, as every triangle congruence yields.

Step four: work backward in (b). The marked sides say which vertices match. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{YZ} \) suggests \( A \to Y \) and \( B \to Z \), or \( A \to Z \) and \( B \to Y \). Use a second marking to decide.

Step five: pin down the correspondence. \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{YX} \) involves \( A \) again and pairs it with \( Y \) or \( X \). The only assignment consistent with both markings is \( A \to Y \), \( B \to Z \), \( C \to X \). Check the third marking: \( \overline{BC} \cong \overline{ZX} \), and under this correspondence \( B \to Z \) and \( C \to X \), so \( \overline{BC} \) should correspond to \( \overline{ZX} \). It does. So the statement is \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle YZX \).

Step six: answer the first half of (c). The correspondence is \( A \to D \), \( B \to E \), \( C \to F \), so \( \angle C \cong \angle F \). The triangle angle sum gives \( m\angle C = 180 - 40 - 75 = 65^\circ \), so \( m\angle F = 65^\circ \).

Step seven: answer the second half of (c). Which side corresponds to \( \overline{DF} \)? Its endpoints \( D \) and \( F \) correspond to \( A \) and \( C \), so \( \overline{DF} \cong \overline{AC} \). Therefore \( AC = 12 \). Note the care needed: the question gave a length in the second triangle and asked for one in the first, so the correspondence had to be read in reverse.

Step eight: answer (d) with a concrete failure. Suppose the correspondence is \( A \to Y \), \( B \to Z \), \( C \to X \), so the true statement is \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle YZX \). Someone who writes \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle XYZ \) instead has claimed \( A \cong X \), \( B \cong Y \), \( C \cong Z \). From that wrong statement they would conclude \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{XY} \). But the diagram says \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{YZ} \), and unless the triangle happens to be isosceles, \( XY \) and \( YZ \) are different lengths. So a false conclusion has been drawn from a triangle that really is congruent. That is why this is one of the four errors the course names: the underlying geometry is right and the written claim is wrong, so the mistake propagates silently into everything that follows.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. If \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle DEF \), which angle corresponds to \( \angle B \)?
    Show the full solution

    \( \angle E \)

  2. Which side corresponds to \( \overline{BC} \)?
    Show the full solution

    \( \overline{EF} \)

  3. How many pairs of congruent parts does a triangle congruence give?
    Show the full solution

    Six

  4. If \( \triangle PQR \cong \triangle XYZ \) and \( PQ = 9 \), find \( XY \).
    Show the full solution

    9

  5. If \( \triangle LMN \cong \triangle RST \) and \( m\angle N = 55^\circ \), find \( m\angle T \).
    Show the full solution

    \( 55^\circ \)

  6. \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle FDE \). List all six pairs of congruent parts.
    Show the full solution

    The correspondence is \( A \to F \), \( B \to D \), \( C \to E \), read in position. Angles: \( \angle A \cong \angle F \), \( \angle B \cong \angle D \), \( \angle C \cong \angle E \). Sides: \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{FD} \), \( \overline{BC} \cong \overline{DE} \), \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{FE} \). The letters of the second triangle are deliberately not in alphabetical order, which is the whole point: the order records the correspondence rather than a naming convention. Three angle pairs and three side pairs as listed

  7. \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle DEF \) with \( m\angle A = 50^\circ \), \( m\angle E = 60^\circ \). Find all six angle measures.
    Show the full solution

    From the correspondence, \( \angle A \cong \angle D \) and \( \angle B \cong \angle E \), so \( m\angle D = 50^\circ \) and \( m\angle B = 60^\circ \). In \( \triangle ABC \), the angle sum gives \( m\angle C = 180 - 50 - 60 = 70^\circ \), and therefore \( m\angle F = 70^\circ \) by correspondence. All six: \( \angle A = \angle D = 50^\circ \), \( \angle B = \angle E = 60^\circ \), \( \angle C = \angle F = 70^\circ \). Check: each triangle's angles sum to \( 50 + 60 + 70 = 180^\circ \). Correct. \( 50^\circ \), \( 60^\circ \), \( 70^\circ \) in each triangle

  8. Two triangles are congruent with \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{QR} \), \( \overline{BC} \cong \overline{RP} \), \( \overline{CA} \cong \overline{PQ} \). Write the statement.
    Show the full solution

    Work out the vertex correspondence from the side markings. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{QR} \) pairs \( \{A, B\} \) with \( \{Q, R\} \). \( \overline{BC} \cong \overline{RP} \) pairs \( \{B, C\} \) with \( \{R, P\} \). The letter \( B \) appears in both, and \( R \) is the letter common to both image pairs, so \( B \to R \). Then from the first pairing, \( A \to Q \), and from the second, \( C \to P \). Check against the third marking: \( \overline{CA} \) should correspond to \( \overline{PQ} \), and indeed \( C \to P \) and \( A \to Q \). Consistent. \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle QRP \)

  9. Explain why \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle DEF \) and \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle EDF \) cannot both be true unless the triangle is isosceles.
    Show the full solution

    The first statement gives \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{DE} \) and \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{DF} \). The second gives \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{ED} \), which is the same segment as \( \overline{DE} \), so that is consistent, but it also gives \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{EF} \) and \( \overline{BC} \cong \overline{DF} \). Combining, \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{DF} \) from the first and \( \overline{BC} \cong \overline{DF} \) from the second give \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{BC} \) by the transitive property. So \( \triangle ABC \) has two congruent sides and is isosceles. If it is scalene, both statements cannot hold. Both can hold when the triangle is isosceles, because then two different correspondences genuinely work, and both statements are true. That is the exception, not the rule, and it is why a congruence statement has to be justified by the correspondence rather than written down and hoped for. Together they force \( AC = BC \), so the triangle must be isosceles

  10. \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle DEF \). Given \( AB = 2x + 3 \), \( DE = 11 \), \( m\angle C = 5y \), \( m\angle F = 40^\circ \). Find \( x \), \( y \) and the perimeter of \( \triangle DEF \) if \( BC = 9 \) and \( AC = 7 \).
    Show the full solution

    Find \( x \). Corresponding sides are congruent, so \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{DE} \) gives \( AB = DE \): \( 2x + 3 = 11 \), so \( 2x = 8 \) and \( x = 4 \). Then \( AB = 11 \), matching. Find \( y \). Corresponding angles give \( m\angle C = m\angle F \): \( 5y = 40 \), so \( y = 8 \). Then \( m\angle C = 40^\circ \), matching. Find the perimeter of \( \triangle DEF \). Each side of \( \triangle DEF \) equals its corresponding side in \( \triangle ABC \): \( DE = AB = 11 \), \( EF = BC = 9 \), \( DF = AC = 7 \). Perimeter: \( 11 + 9 + 7 = 27 \). Note that the perimeter of \( \triangle ABC \) is also 27, which it must be: congruent figures have equal perimeters because every corresponding side is congruent. Computing both is a check rather than extra work. Note also the triangle inequality holds, \( 7 + 9 = 16 \gt 11 \), so these lengths can form a triangle. Unit 6 makes that test explicit. \( x = 4 \), \( y = 8 \), perimeter 27

Lesson 5.2 · Unit 5 · G-SRT.5

Three parts instead of six, and the word "included"

A congruence statement asserts six things, and the criteria let you conclude all six from three. SSS needs all three sides. SAS needs two sides and the angle between them, and the word between is doing all the work, as lesson 5.3 will show.

The method
  1. SSS: if three sides of one triangle are congruent to three sides of another, the triangles are congruent.
  2. SAS: if two sides and the included angle of one triangle are congruent to the corresponding parts of another, the triangles are congruent.
  3. The included angle is the one formed by the two named sides, and identifying it is the first thing to check before citing SAS.
  4. Both criteria were derived in lesson 4.7 from the rigid motion definition, so they are theorems rather than assumptions.
  5. The reflexive property supplies a shared side, written \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AB} \), and it appears in most proofs where two triangles overlap.
  6. Mark the diagram before writing anything, transferring every given into tick marks and arcs.
  7. Count what you have: three sides means SSS, two sides with the angle between them means SAS.
  8. State the congruence with the letters in correspondence order, reading off which vertex matched which.

Where students lose marks: citing SAS when the angle is not included. If the congruent parts are \( \overline{AB} \), \( \overline{BC} \) and \( \angle A \), the angle is not between the two sides, so SAS does not apply. That configuration is SSA, and lesson 5.3 shows it proves nothing.

Worked example

The problem. (a) In quadrilateral \( ABCD \), \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \) and \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{CB} \). Prove \( \triangle ABD \cong \triangle CDB \). (b) In a figure, \( M \) is the midpoint of both \( \overline{AC} \) and \( \overline{BD} \). Prove \( \triangle AMB \cong \triangle CMD \).

Step one: mark the diagram for (a) and take inventory. Two pairs of sides are given congruent. The triangles \( \triangle ABD \) and \( \triangle CDB \) share the segment \( \overline{BD} \), which appears in both. That is a third pair, available by the reflexive property. Three pairs of sides means SSS.

Step two: check the correspondence before writing the proof. In \( \triangle ABD \) the sides are \( \overline{AB} \), \( \overline{BD} \), \( \overline{AD} \). In \( \triangle CDB \) they are \( \overline{CD} \), \( \overline{DB} \), \( \overline{CB} \). Matching: \( \overline{AB} \) with \( \overline{CD} \), \( \overline{BD} \) with \( \overline{DB} \), \( \overline{AD} \) with \( \overline{CB} \). So \( A \to C \), \( B \to D \), \( D \to B \), which is exactly the order in the statement to be proved.

Step three: write the proof of (a). 1. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \) and \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{CB} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \overline{BD} \cong \overline{DB} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 3. \( \triangle ABD \cong \triangle CDB \). Reason: SSS.

Step four: note what line 2 did. The shared side is the same segment written twice, and it contributes a pair of congruent sides to the count. Without it there are only two pairs and no criterion applies. This step is omitted more often than any other in the unit, and a proof missing it is incomplete even though the conclusion is right.

Step five: take inventory for (b). \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \), so \( \overline{AM} \cong \overline{MC} \). \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{BD} \), so \( \overline{BM} \cong \overline{MD} \). That is two pairs of sides. The third pair needs an angle, and the angles at \( M \) are vertical angles, since \( \overline{AC} \) and \( \overline{BD} \) are two segments crossing at \( M \).

Step six: check that the angle is included. In \( \triangle AMB \), the sides in hand are \( \overline{AM} \) and \( \overline{BM} \), and the angle between them is \( \angle AMB \). Yes, included. The same holds in \( \triangle CMD \) for \( \angle CMD \). Two sides and the included angle means SAS.

Step seven: write the proof of (b). 1. \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \) and of \( \overline{BD} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \overline{AM} \cong \overline{MC} \). Reason: definition of midpoint. 3. \( \overline{BM} \cong \overline{MD} \). Reason: definition of midpoint. 4. \( \angle AMB \cong \angle CMD \). Reason: vertical angles theorem. 5. \( \triangle AMB \cong \triangle CMD \). Reason: SAS.

Step eight: verify the correspondence in the final statement. The parts used were \( \overline{AM} \) with \( \overline{CM} \), \( \angle M \) with \( \angle M \), and \( \overline{BM} \) with \( \overline{DM} \). So \( A \to C \), \( M \to M \), \( B \to D \), and the statement \( \triangle AMB \cong \triangle CMD \) has its letters in that order. Correct. Writing \( \triangle AMB \cong \triangle DMC \) would have claimed \( A \to D \), which contradicts the sides actually used, and would be marked wrong even though the triangles are congruent.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does SSS require?
    Show the full solution

    Three pairs of congruent sides

  2. What does SAS require?
    Show the full solution

    Two pairs of congruent sides and the included angles congruent

  3. In \( \triangle ABC \), which angle is included between \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{BC} \)?
    Show the full solution

    The shared vertex is \( B \). \( \angle B \)

  4. What property justifies \( \overline{XY} \cong \overline{XY} \)?
    Show the full solution

    Reflexive property of congruence

  5. Two triangles have \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{DE} \), \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{DF} \), \( \angle A \cong \angle D \). Which criterion applies?
    Show the full solution

    \( \angle A \) is between \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{AC} \). SAS

  6. Given \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AD} \) and \( \overline{CB} \cong \overline{CD} \), prove \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle ADC \).
    Show the full solution

    The two triangles share \( \overline{AC} \), which supplies the third pair. 1. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AD} \) and \( \overline{CB} \cong \overline{CD} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{AC} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 3. \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle ADC \). Reason: SSS. The figure here is a kite, and this proof is the one unit 7 uses to establish the kite properties. Proved by SSS

  7. Given \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CB} \) and \( \overline{BD} \) bisects \( \angle ABC \), prove \( \triangle ABD \cong \triangle CBD \).
    Show the full solution

    1. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CB} \) and \( \overline{BD} \) bisects \( \angle ABC \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle ABD \cong \angle CBD \). Reason: definition of an angle bisector. 3. \( \overline{BD} \cong \overline{BD} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 4. \( \triangle ABD \cong \triangle CBD \). Reason: SAS. Check that the angle is included: in \( \triangle ABD \) the sides are \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{BD} \), and \( \angle ABD \) sits between them at vertex \( B \). Included, so SAS is legitimate. Proved by SAS

  8. Two triangles have \( \overline{PQ} \cong \overline{XY} \), \( \overline{QR} \cong \overline{YZ} \) and \( \angle P \cong \angle X \). Can you conclude congruence?
    Show the full solution

    Check whether the angle is included. In \( \triangle PQR \) the two given sides are \( \overline{PQ} \) and \( \overline{QR} \), which meet at \( Q \). So the included angle is \( \angle Q \), not \( \angle P \). The given angle \( \angle P \) is opposite \( \overline{QR} \), so the configuration is side, side, non-included angle, which is SSA. SSA is not a valid criterion, as lesson 5.3 demonstrates with two genuinely different triangles sharing the same SSA data. So no conclusion follows. What would fix it: being given \( \angle Q \cong \angle Y \) instead, which would make it SAS, or being given the third side, which would make it SSS. No; the angle is not included, so this is SSA and proves nothing

  9. Explain why the reflexive property is needed so often in this unit.
    Show the full solution

    Most proof diagrams put the two triangles next to each other sharing a side or an angle, because that is how congruent triangles arise naturally inside a larger figure: a diagonal cutting a quadrilateral, a segment drawn from a vertex, two triangles meeting at a point. In such a figure, the shared part is genuinely one object appearing in both triangles. But a congruence criterion needs three pairs, and a pair means two parts related by a congruence statement. The reflexive property supplies exactly that: the shared side is congruent to itself, so it counts as a pair. Omitting the line does not make the proof wrong in substance, but it leaves only two pairs on the page, which is not enough to invoke any criterion. A reader checking the proof line by line finds a criterion cited with insufficient support. The habit to build: as soon as two triangles are identified, look for what they share and write the reflexive line immediately, before counting up to three. Overlapping triangles share a part, and the reflexive property is what turns that one shared object into the third congruent pair a criterion needs

  10. In quadrilateral \( ABCD \), the diagonals \( \overline{AC} \) and \( \overline{BD} \) bisect each other at \( E \). Prove \( \triangle AEB \cong \triangle CED \) and then that \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \).
    Show the full solution

    1. \( \overline{AC} \) and \( \overline{BD} \) bisect each other at \( E \). Reason: given. 2. \( E \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \) and of \( \overline{BD} \). Reason: definition of a segment bisector. 3. \( \overline{AE} \cong \overline{EC} \). Reason: definition of midpoint. 4. \( \overline{BE} \cong \overline{ED} \). Reason: definition of midpoint. 5. \( \angle AEB \cong \angle CED \). Reason: vertical angles theorem. 6. \( \triangle AEB \cong \triangle CED \). Reason: SAS. 7. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \). Reason: corresponding parts of congruent triangles are congruent. Checking the included angle at line 6. In \( \triangle AEB \) the sides in hand are \( \overline{AE} \) and \( \overline{BE} \), meeting at \( E \), so \( \angle AEB \) is included. Legitimate. What this proves. A quadrilateral whose diagonals bisect each other has a pair of opposite sides congruent, and the same argument on the other pair of triangles gives \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{CB} \). That is most of the proof that such a quadrilateral is a parallelogram, which unit 7 completes. Proved by SAS, with the side congruence following by CPCTC

Lesson 5.3 · Unit 5 · G-SRT.5

Two angle-based criteria, and the arrangement that is not one

Two more criteria use angles, and they work for the same reason the others do: three well chosen parts leave no freedom for the rest. One arrangement that looks equally reasonable is not a criterion at all, and seeing exactly why is worth more than memorizing the list.

The method
  1. ASA: two angles and the included side congruent to the corresponding parts gives congruent triangles.
  2. AAS: two angles and a non-included side congruent gives congruent triangles.
  3. The included side is the one joining the two named angles.
  4. AAS works because the third angle is determined. Knowing two angles gives the third by the angle sum, which converts AAS into ASA.
  5. AAA is not a criterion. Three congruent angles give similar triangles, which may be different sizes, and that is unit 8.
  6. SSA is not a criterion. Two sides and a non-included angle can describe two genuinely different triangles.
  7. The valid list is SSS, SAS, ASA, AAS and HL, and nothing else.
  8. Before citing a criterion, write out which parts you have in order around the triangle, and match that pattern to the list.

Where students lose marks: inventing SSA or AAA. Both look like reasonable patterns and neither is valid. Writing the parts in order around the triangle, as side-angle-side or side-side-angle, makes the pattern visible before a criterion is chosen.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Distinguish ASA from AAS with an example of each. (b) Show that SSA is not a criterion, by constructing two different triangles with the same SSA data. (c) Explain why AAA is not a criterion.

Step one: set up an ASA example. Suppose \( \angle A \cong \angle D \), \( \angle B \cong \angle E \), and \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{DE} \). The side \( \overline{AB} \) joins the two named angles, so it is the included side. That is ASA.

Step two: set up an AAS example. Suppose \( \angle A \cong \angle D \), \( \angle B \cong \angle E \), and \( \overline{BC} \cong \overline{EF} \). The side \( \overline{BC} \) touches \( \angle B \) but not \( \angle A \), so it is not between the two named angles. That is AAS.

Step three: show AAS reduces to ASA. In the AAS case, the third angles are congruent too: \( m\angle C = 180 - m\angle A - m\angle B \) and \( m\angle F = 180 - m\angle D - m\angle E \), and the subtracted quantities are equal, so \( \angle C \cong \angle F \). Now \( \overline{BC} \) is included between \( \angle B \) and \( \angle C \), both of which are known congruent to their counterparts. So the AAS data has become ASA data, and the conclusion follows. AAS is a theorem proved from ASA rather than a separate assumption.

Step four: construct the first triangle for (b). Take \( m\angle A = 30^\circ \), \( AB = 7 \), and \( BC = 5 \). Here \( \angle A \) is opposite \( \overline{BC} \), so it is not included between the two named sides: this is SSA. By the law of sines, \( \dfrac{\sin C}{7} = \dfrac{\sin 30^\circ}{5} \), so \( \sin C = \dfrac{7 \times 0.5}{5} = 0.7 \).

Step five: notice that two angles have that sine. Both \( C \approx 44.4^\circ \) and \( C \approx 135.6^\circ \) satisfy \( \sin C = 0.7 \), since \( \sin(180^\circ - \theta) = \sin\theta \). Both give a valid triangle, because in each case the three angles sum to less than \( 180^\circ \) with room for \( \angle B \).

Step six: compute both triangles and compare. With \( C \approx 44.4^\circ \): \( m\angle B \approx 180 - 30 - 44.4 = 105.6^\circ \), and \( AC = \dfrac{5 \sin B}{\sin 30^\circ} \approx 10 \times 0.963 \approx 9.63 \). With \( C \approx 135.6^\circ \): \( m\angle B \approx 180 - 30 - 135.6 = 14.4^\circ \), and \( AC \approx 10 \times 0.249 \approx 2.49 \). Two triangles, both with \( \angle A = 30^\circ \), \( AB = 7 \) and \( BC = 5 \), whose third sides are 9.63 and 2.49. They are not congruent by any measure, so SSA cannot be a criterion.

Step seven: see the geometric picture behind it. Draw \( \angle A \) and mark \( B \) at distance 7 along one side. Now swing an arc of radius 5 centered at \( B \). That arc crosses the other side of the angle at two points, because the arc is long enough to reach across and come back. Each crossing gives a triangle satisfying the data, and the two triangles differ. This is called the ambiguous case, and it is exactly why the included condition appears in SAS.

Step eight: answer (c). AAA gives three pairs of congruent angles and says nothing about size. Take an equilateral triangle with sides of 1 and another with sides of 100. Every angle in both measures \( 60^\circ \), so all three angle pairs are congruent, and the triangles are obviously not congruent. What AAA does give is similarity: the two triangles have the same shape, with all sides in the same ratio, which is 1 to 100 here. That is the AA criterion of unit 8, and it is a genuine and useful result. It just is not congruence, because congruence requires size as well as shape and no angle information can supply size.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does ASA require?
    Show the full solution

    Two angles and the included side

  2. What does AAS require?
    Show the full solution

    Two angles and a non-included side

  3. Is SSA a valid criterion?
    Show the full solution

    No

  4. Is AAA a valid criterion for congruence?
    Show the full solution

    It gives similarity only. No

  5. In \( \triangle ABC \), which side is included between \( \angle A \) and \( \angle C \)?
    Show the full solution

    \( \overline{AC} \)

  6. Two triangles have \( \angle A \cong \angle D \), \( \angle C \cong \angle F \), \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{DF} \). Which criterion applies?
    Show the full solution

    The side \( \overline{AC} \) joins the two named angles \( \angle A \) and \( \angle C \), so it is included. ASA

  7. Two triangles have \( \angle A \cong \angle D \), \( \angle B \cong \angle E \), \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{DF} \). Which criterion applies?
    Show the full solution

    The named angles are \( \angle A \) and \( \angle B \), so the included side would be \( \overline{AB} \). The given side \( \overline{AC} \) is not it. AAS

  8. Given \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{CD} \) and \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AD} \), prove \( \triangle ABM \cong \triangle DCM \).
    Show the full solution

    1. \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{CD} \); \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AD} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle BAM \cong \angle CDM \). Reason: alternate interior angles theorem, with \( \overline{AD} \) as the transversal. 3. \( \overline{AM} \cong \overline{DM} \). Reason: definition of midpoint. 4. \( \angle AMB \cong \angle DMC \). Reason: vertical angles theorem. 5. \( \triangle ABM \cong \triangle DCM \). Reason: ASA. Check that the side is included: \( \overline{AM} \) joins \( \angle A \) and \( \angle M \) in the first triangle, which are the two named angles. Included, so ASA is correct. Proved by ASA

  9. Explain in your own words why the word "included" matters so much in SAS.
    Show the full solution

    An included angle locks the two sides into a fixed relative position. Once the angle at a vertex is fixed and the two sides leaving that vertex have fixed lengths, the two far endpoints are determined, and so is the segment joining them. Nothing is left free, which is why the triangle is determined. A non-included angle does not do this. The angle sits at the far end of one of the sides, and the second side, of known length, can swing to meet the remaining side of the angle in two different places. That freedom is the ambiguous case, and it is what allows two non-congruent triangles to share the same SSA data. The worked example makes it concrete: with \( \angle A = 30^\circ \), \( AB = 7 \) and \( BC = 5 \), the arc of radius 5 about \( B \) crosses the other side of the angle twice, giving third sides of about 9.63 and 2.49. The general lesson: a criterion works when the given parts leave no freedom, and the word included is what removes the freedom in SAS. An included angle fixes the two sides relative to each other, leaving nothing free; a non-included angle allows the second side to reach the third in two places

  10. Given \( \angle B \) and \( \angle E \) are right angles, \( \angle A \cong \angle D \), and \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{DF} \), prove \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle DEF \). Name the criterion and explain why a second one also applies.
    Show the full solution

    1. \( \angle B \) and \( \angle E \) are right angles; \( \angle A \cong \angle D \); \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{DF} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle B \cong \angle E \). Reason: right angle congruence theorem. 3. \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle DEF \). Reason: AAS. Checking the criterion. The two angle pairs are \( \angle A \) with \( \angle D \) and \( \angle B \) with \( \angle E \). The side between them would be \( \overline{AB} \), and the given side is \( \overline{AC} \), which is not it. So this is AAS, not ASA. Why HL also applies. The triangles are right triangles, since \( \angle B \) and \( \angle E \) are right angles. The side \( \overline{AC} \) is opposite \( \angle B \), so it is the hypotenuse of \( \triangle ABC \), and likewise \( \overline{DF} \) is the hypotenuse of \( \triangle DEF \). The given congruence is therefore a pair of congruent hypotenuses. HL needs a leg as well, however, and none is given here, so HL cannot be used as stated. AAS is the right citation. Had a leg been given instead of the angle at \( A \), HL would apply and AAS would not, which is the subject of lesson 5.4. Proved by AAS; the triangles are right, but HL needs a leg that is not given

Lesson 5.4 · Unit 5 · G-SRT.5

The one place a non-included angle does work

SSA fails in general, and yet right triangles have a criterion that looks like SSA: a hypotenuse, a leg, and the right angle, which is not between them. It works because the right angle removes the ambiguity, and that is worth understanding rather than treating as an exception to be memorized.

The method
  1. HL: if the hypotenuse and a leg of one right triangle are congruent to the hypotenuse and a leg of another, the triangles are congruent.
  2. Both triangles must be established as right triangles first. That is a precondition, not part of the three parts.
  3. The hypotenuse is the side opposite the right angle and is always the longest side.
  4. Identify which given side is the hypotenuse before citing HL, since a leg and a leg would be SAS instead.
  5. HL works because the Pythagorean theorem determines the third side. Knowing the hypotenuse and one leg fixes the other leg, converting the data into SSS.
  6. That is why the ambiguity of SSA does not arise here: the second possible triangle would need an obtuse angle, which a right triangle cannot have in addition to its right angle.
  7. A proof using HL must state the right angles, usually by the definition of perpendicular or from the given.
  8. HL is the fifth and last criterion. The complete list is SSS, SAS, ASA, AAS and HL.

Where students lose marks: citing HL without establishing the right angles. The criterion applies only to right triangles, so a proof must show both are right before invoking it, usually from a perpendicularity given.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Explain why HL works even though it resembles SSA. (b) In a figure, \( \overline{AD} \perp \overline{BC} \), \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \), and \( D \) lies on \( \overline{BC} \). Prove \( \triangle ABD \cong \triangle ACD \). (c) Verify with numbers that the third side is determined.

Step one: set up the comparison in (a). HL gives a hypotenuse, a leg, and a right angle. The right angle is between the two legs, not between the hypotenuse and the given leg. So the three parts, in order around the triangle, are side, side, non-included angle: the SSA pattern.

Step two: recall why SSA fails in general. From lesson 5.3, the second side can swing to meet the third in two places, producing one triangle with an acute angle and one with an obtuse angle at that position.

Step three: see why that cannot happen here. The two candidate triangles differ in whether the angle opposite the given side is acute or obtuse. In a right triangle, one angle is already \( 90^\circ \), and the other two must sum to \( 90^\circ \), so both are acute. The obtuse possibility is excluded by the right angle, and only one triangle remains.

Step four: give the algebraic version of the same fact. Let the hypotenuse be \( c \) and the given leg \( a \). The Pythagorean theorem gives \( a^2 + b^2 = c^2 \), so \( b = \sqrt{c^2 - a^2} \), a single positive value. The third side is determined, so the data is really SSS in disguise and congruence follows. In the general SSA case there is no such equation and the third side genuinely has two possible values.

Step five: take inventory for (b). \( \overline{AD} \perp \overline{BC} \) gives right angles at \( D \). \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \) gives a pair of sides, and each is opposite a right angle, so each is a hypotenuse. The two triangles share \( \overline{AD} \), which is a leg of each. Hypotenuse and leg: HL.

Step six: write the proof of (b). 1. \( \overline{AD} \perp \overline{BC} \); \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle ADB \) and \( \angle ADC \) are right angles. Reason: definition of perpendicular lines. 3. \( \triangle ABD \) and \( \triangle ACD \) are right triangles. Reason: definition of a right triangle. 4. \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{AD} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 5. \( \triangle ABD \cong \triangle ACD \). Reason: HL, with \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{AC} \) the hypotenuses and \( \overline{AD} \) the shared leg.

Step seven: check the identification of the hypotenuse. In \( \triangle ABD \) the right angle is at \( D \), so the hypotenuse is the side opposite \( D \), which is \( \overline{AB} \). Correct. Had the given congruence been \( \overline{BD} \cong \overline{CD} \) instead, both given sides would be legs, and the proof would use SAS with the included right angles rather than HL.

Step eight: verify (c) numerically. Let the hypotenuse be 13 and the given leg 5. Then the other leg is \( \sqrt{169 - 25} = \sqrt{144} = 12 \), a single value. No second triangle exists with hypotenuse 13 and a leg of 5. Contrast the SSA example from lesson 5.3: sides 7 and 5 with a \( 30^\circ \) non-included angle gave third sides of about 9.63 and 2.49, two genuinely different triangles. The right angle is what collapses the two possibilities into one, and HL is exactly SSA with that collapse guaranteed.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does HL require?
    Show the full solution

    Congruent hypotenuses and one pair of congruent legs, in right triangles

  2. Which side of a right triangle is the hypotenuse?
    Show the full solution

    The one opposite the right angle

  3. Can HL be used on triangles that are not right triangles?
    Show the full solution

    No

  4. Two right triangles have congruent legs and congruent legs. Which criterion applies?
    Show the full solution

    The right angles are included between the legs. SAS

  5. Name all five congruence criteria.
    Show the full solution

    SSS, SAS, ASA, AAS, HL

  6. A right triangle has hypotenuse 25 and a leg of 7. Find the other leg.
    Show the full solution

    By the Pythagorean theorem, \( 7^2 + b^2 = 25^2 \), so \( b^2 = 625 - 49 = 576 \) and \( b = 24 \). A single positive value, which is exactly why HL works: the third side is not free. 24

  7. Given \( \overline{PQ} \perp \overline{QR} \), \( \overline{ST} \perp \overline{TU} \), \( \overline{PR} \cong \overline{SU} \) and \( \overline{QR} \cong \overline{TU} \), prove \( \triangle PQR \cong \triangle STU \).
    Show the full solution

    1. \( \overline{PQ} \perp \overline{QR} \), \( \overline{ST} \perp \overline{TU} \), \( \overline{PR} \cong \overline{SU} \), \( \overline{QR} \cong \overline{TU} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle Q \) and \( \angle T \) are right angles. Reason: definition of perpendicular lines. 3. \( \triangle PQR \) and \( \triangle STU \) are right triangles. Reason: definition of a right triangle. 4. \( \overline{PR} \) and \( \overline{SU} \) are the hypotenuses. Reason: each is opposite the right angle. 5. \( \triangle PQR \cong \triangle STU \). Reason: HL. Proved by HL

  8. Explain why HL does not contradict the failure of SSA.
    Show the full solution

    SSA fails because two triangles can satisfy the same data, one with an acute angle and one with an obtuse angle opposite the given side. Both are genuinely possible when nothing rules the obtuse case out. In a right triangle, the obtuse case is impossible. One angle already measures \( 90^\circ \), and the angle sum leaves only \( 90^\circ \) to be shared between the other two, so both must be acute. The second of the two candidate triangles cannot exist. So HL is not an exception to the SSA failure; it is the special situation in which the ambiguity that causes the failure cannot arise. The hypothesis "right triangle" is doing exactly that work, which is why a proof must establish it before citing HL. The algebraic version says the same thing: \( b = \sqrt{c^2 - a^2} \) has one positive solution, whereas the general SSA configuration has no such equation and leaves the third side genuinely undetermined. The right angle forces both other angles to be acute, eliminating the second triangle that makes SSA ambiguous

  9. In an isosceles triangle \( ABC \) with \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \), the altitude from \( A \) meets \( \overline{BC} \) at \( D \). Prove \( D \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{BC} \).
    Show the full solution

    1. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \); \( \overline{AD} \) is an altitude to \( \overline{BC} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \overline{AD} \perp \overline{BC} \). Reason: definition of an altitude. 3. \( \angle ADB \) and \( \angle ADC \) are right angles. Reason: definition of perpendicular lines. 4. \( \triangle ABD \) and \( \triangle ACD \) are right triangles. Reason: definition of a right triangle. 5. \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{AD} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 6. \( \triangle ABD \cong \triangle ACD \). Reason: HL, with \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{AC} \) the hypotenuses. 7. \( \overline{BD} \cong \overline{DC} \). Reason: corresponding parts of congruent triangles are congruent. 8. \( D \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{BC} \). Reason: definition of midpoint, since \( D \) lies on \( \overline{BC} \) and divides it into two congruent segments. This proves a useful fact: in an isosceles triangle, the altitude to the base is also the median to the base. Lesson 5.7 shows it is the angle bisector as well. Proved by HL and CPCTC

  10. Two right triangles have a congruent leg and a congruent acute angle. Determine whether they must be congruent, considering both possible positions of the angle.
    Show the full solution

    The acute angle can be either adjacent to the given leg or opposite it, and both cases turn out to give congruence, for slightly different reasons. Case one: the acute angle is adjacent to the given leg. Then the triangles share the right angle, the given leg, and the acute angle at the other end of that leg. The leg is between the right angle and the acute angle, so this is ASA. Congruent. Case two: the acute angle is opposite the given leg. Then the triangles share the right angle, the acute angle, and a non-included side. That is AAS. Congruent. Why both work. Knowing one acute angle in a right triangle determines the other, since the two must sum to \( 90^\circ \). So a right triangle with one known acute angle has all three angles known, and any one side then fixes the size completely. This is worth remembering as a practical shortcut: for right triangles, any one side plus any one acute angle gives congruence, and the only question is whether to cite ASA or AAS. Congruent in both cases, by ASA when the angle is adjacent and AAS when it is opposite

Lesson 5.5 · Unit 5 · G-SRT.5

Proving the triangles in order to prove the parts

Most questions in this unit do not ask you to prove two triangles congruent. They ask about a pair of segments or angles, and the triangles are the route. CPCTC is the step that converts triangle congruence into the fact you actually wanted, and it always comes last.

The method
  1. CPCTC stands for corresponding parts of congruent triangles are congruent. It is the definition of congruence applied in the useful direction.
  2. The order of a CPCTC proof is fixed: establish three pairs, cite a criterion, then cite CPCTC.
  3. CPCTC can never be cited before the triangles are proved congruent, which is the most common error in this lesson.
  4. Work backward from the goal to find which two triangles contain the parts you need.
  5. Identify the triangles first, then find three pairs inside them.
  6. A shared side or a vertical angle pair is usually one of the three, since the triangles almost always touch.
  7. Check the correspondence before citing CPCTC, because the part you conclude about depends on which vertices matched.
  8. The goal often requires one more step after CPCTC, such as a definition converting congruent segments into a midpoint.

Where students lose marks: using CPCTC as one of the three pairs. If a proof cites CPCTC to establish a side and then uses that side in SSS to prove the same triangles congruent, it is circular. CPCTC is a consequence of congruence and can only appear after it.

Worked example

The problem. Given \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CB} \) and \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{CD} \), prove that \( \overline{BD} \) bisects \( \angle ABC \).

Step one: identify the goal precisely. To show \( \overline{BD} \) bisects \( \angle ABC \), the definition of an angle bisector requires \( \angle ABD \cong \angle CBD \). So the real target is a pair of congruent angles.

Step two: find the triangles containing those angles. \( \angle ABD \) lives in \( \triangle ABD \) and \( \angle CBD \) lives in \( \triangle CBD \). If those two triangles are congruent with \( A \) corresponding to \( C \), then CPCTC gives the angles.

Step three: hunt for three pairs inside those triangles. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CB} \) is given. \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{CD} \) is given. The triangles share \( \overline{BD} \). Three pairs of sides, so SSS.

Step four: write the first half of the proof. 1. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CB} \); \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{CD} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \overline{BD} \cong \overline{BD} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 3. \( \triangle ABD \cong \triangle CBD \). Reason: SSS.

Step five: apply CPCTC. 4. \( \angle ABD \cong \angle CBD \). Reason: corresponding parts of congruent triangles are congruent. Check the correspondence: line 3 matched \( A \to C \), \( B \to B \), \( D \to D \), so \( \angle ABD \), with vertex \( B \) and sides toward \( A \) and \( D \), corresponds to \( \angle CBD \). Correct.

Step six: finish with the definition. 5. \( \overline{BD} \) bisects \( \angle ABC \). Reason: definition of an angle bisector. The proof did not end at CPCTC. The goal was stated in terms of a bisector, so one more line converts the congruent angles into that language.

Step seven: read the reason column to check the order. Given, reflexive, SSS, CPCTC, definition of angle bisector. The criterion appears before CPCTC, and CPCTC was not used to supply any of the three pairs. The argument runs one way, from givens to triangles to parts to conclusion.

Step eight: note what a circular version would look like. Suppose a student wrote line 2 as "\( \angle ABD \cong \angle CBD \), reason: CPCTC" and then used it with the two given sides to cite SAS. The proof would appear complete and would be worthless: CPCTC requires the congruence that SAS is being used to establish. The test is the one from lesson 2.6: every reason must cite something already available at that line. At line 2, no triangle congruence has been established, so CPCTC is not available.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does CPCTC stand for?
    Show the full solution

    Corresponding parts of congruent triangles are congruent

  2. When in a proof may CPCTC be used?
    Show the full solution

    Only after the triangles have been proved congruent

  3. \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle DEF \). What does CPCTC give about \( \overline{AC} \)?
    Show the full solution

    \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{DF} \)

  4. Can CPCTC supply one of the three pairs for a criterion?
    Show the full solution

    No; that would be circular

  5. What usually comes after CPCTC in a proof?
    Show the full solution

    A definition converting the congruent parts into the goal's language

  6. Given \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{CM} \perp \overline{AB} \), prove \( \overline{CA} \cong \overline{CB} \).
    Show the full solution

    1. \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \); \( \overline{CM} \perp \overline{AB} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \overline{AM} \cong \overline{MB} \). Reason: definition of midpoint. 3. \( \angle CMA \) and \( \angle CMB \) are right angles. Reason: definition of perpendicular lines. 4. \( \angle CMA \cong \angle CMB \). Reason: right angle congruence theorem. 5. \( \overline{CM} \cong \overline{CM} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 6. \( \triangle CMA \cong \triangle CMB \). Reason: SAS. 7. \( \overline{CA} \cong \overline{CB} \). Reason: CPCTC. This proves the perpendicular bisector theorem for one point, which lesson 6.1 generalizes. Proved by SAS and CPCTC

  7. Given \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DC} \) and \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{DC} \), prove \( \overline{AD} \parallel \overline{BC} \).
    Show the full solution

    Draw the diagonal \( \overline{AC} \), creating two triangles. 1. \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DC} \); \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{DC} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle BAC \cong \angle DCA \). Reason: alternate interior angles theorem, with \( \overline{AC} \) as transversal. 3. \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{AC} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 4. \( \triangle BAC \cong \triangle DCA \). Reason: SAS. 5. \( \angle BCA \cong \angle DAC \). Reason: CPCTC. 6. \( \overline{AD} \parallel \overline{BC} \). Reason: converse of the alternate interior angles theorem. Note the two directions in one proof: line 2 uses the forward theorem and line 6 uses the converse. The reason column keeps them apart. Proved by SAS, CPCTC and the converse

  8. A proof reads: "1. Given. 2. CPCTC. 3. SAS." Diagnose it.
    Show the full solution

    The order is impossible. CPCTC concludes something about corresponding parts, which requires the triangles to be already known congruent. At line 2 nothing has established that, so CPCTC is not available. Worse, the proof then uses SAS at line 3, presumably drawing on the part CPCTC supplied. That makes the argument circular: the congruence is used to derive a part, and the part is used to derive the congruence. The correct order is always the same: gather three pairs from givens, definitions and properties; cite a criterion to establish congruence; then cite CPCTC to extract whatever part the question wanted. Reading the reason column alone, as lesson 2.5 recommends, catches this immediately, because CPCTC appearing before any criterion is a visible ordering error. CPCTC appears before any congruence criterion, so it cites a result that is not yet available and the argument is circular

  9. Given \( \overline{AC} \) bisects \( \angle BAD \) and \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AD} \), prove \( C \) is equidistant from \( B \) and \( D \).
    Show the full solution

    Equidistant means \( CB = CD \), so the target is a pair of congruent segments. 1. \( \overline{AC} \) bisects \( \angle BAD \); \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AD} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle BAC \cong \angle DAC \). Reason: definition of an angle bisector. 3. \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{AC} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 4. \( \triangle BAC \cong \triangle DAC \). Reason: SAS, with \( \angle A \) included between \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{AC} \). 5. \( \overline{CB} \cong \overline{CD} \). Reason: CPCTC. 6. \( CB = CD \). Reason: definition of congruent segments. 7. \( C \) is equidistant from \( B \) and \( D \). Reason: definition of equidistant. The last two lines are the language conversion the method mentions: CPCTC gave congruent segments, and the question asked about distance, so the definitions carry it across. Proved by SAS and CPCTC

  10. Given \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{BC} \) and \( \angle DAB \cong \angle CBA \), prove \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{BD} \), and explain which two triangles to use and why the obvious pair fails.
    Show the full solution

    Choosing the triangles. The goal involves \( \overline{AC} \) and \( \overline{BD} \), the two diagonals of quadrilateral \( ABCD \). The triangles containing them as sides are \( \triangle DAB \) and \( \triangle CBA \), which overlap and share the side \( \overline{AB} \). The obvious pair, \( \triangle ABC \) and \( \triangle ABD \), is the same two triangles named differently; what matters is getting the correspondence right so that \( \overline{AC} \) and \( \overline{BD} \) come out as corresponding parts. 1. \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{BC} \); \( \angle DAB \cong \angle CBA \). Reason: given. 2. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{BA} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 3. \( \triangle DAB \cong \triangle CBA \). Reason: SAS. 4. \( \overline{DB} \cong \overline{CA} \). Reason: CPCTC. Checking the included angle at line 3. In \( \triangle DAB \) the sides in hand are \( \overline{AD} \) and \( \overline{AB} \), meeting at \( A \), so \( \angle DAB \) is included. In \( \triangle CBA \) the sides are \( \overline{BC} \) and \( \overline{BA} \), meeting at \( B \), so \( \angle CBA \) is included. Legitimate. Checking the correspondence at line 4. The statement \( \triangle DAB \cong \triangle CBA \) matches \( D \to C \), \( A \to B \), \( B \to A \). So \( \overline{DB} \), joining the first and third vertices, corresponds to \( \overline{CA} \), joining the first and third of the other. Correct, and that is exactly the pair the question asked about. Had the correspondence been written as \( \triangle DAB \cong \triangle CAB \), the letters would claim \( A \to A \), which the shared-side argument does not support, and line 4 would have produced the wrong pair. This figure is an isosceles trapezoid when \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DC} \), and the result proved here is the theorem that its diagonals are congruent, which unit 7 cites. Use \( \triangle DAB \) and \( \triangle CBA \) with SAS, then CPCTC; the correspondence must send \( A \to B \) for the diagonals to correspond

Lesson 5.6 · Unit 5 · G-SRT.5

Separating two triangles that share more than a side

When two triangles overlap, the parts they share can be hard to see, and a length or angle often has to be assembled from pieces before a criterion applies. The technique is always the same: separate the triangles mentally, then use addition or subtraction to build the pair you need.

The method
  1. Redraw the two triangles separately if the figure is confusing, so that corresponding parts become visible.
  2. List the vertices of each triangle and find which parts are shared and which correspond.
  3. A shared side or angle gives a pair by the reflexive property, as usual.
  4. The addition property of equality builds a congruent pair from pieces: if \( AB = DE \) and \( BC = EF \), then \( AC = DF \) by segment addition.
  5. The subtraction property works the same way in reverse, removing a common piece from two congruent wholes.
  6. The same applies to angles, using the angle addition postulate to build or remove a shared angle.
  7. Name the whole and the parts explicitly so the reason column can cite the right postulate.
  8. Check the correspondence carefully, since overlapping figures make it easy to pair the wrong vertices.

Where students lose marks: assuming two overlapping sides are congruent because they look like the same length. If \( \overline{AC} \) and \( \overline{BD} \) overlap in a shared middle piece, their congruence must be built from the given pieces by addition, not assumed from the diagram.

Worked example

The problem. Points \( A \), \( B \), \( C \), \( D \) lie in that order on a line, with \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \). Point \( E \) is off the line with \( \overline{EA} \cong \overline{ED} \). (a) Prove \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{BD} \). (b) Prove \( \triangle EAC \cong \triangle EDB \).

Step one: see why (a) needs a proof. The segments \( \overline{AC} \) and \( \overline{BD} \) overlap: both contain \( \overline{BC} \). They look like they might be equal, and looking is not a reason. The congruence has to be built from the given.

Step two: write the two wholes in terms of their parts. Since the points are in order \( A \), \( B \), \( C \), \( D \), the segment addition postulate gives \( AC = AB + BC \) and \( BD = BC + CD \).

Step three: substitute the given. From \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \) comes \( AB = CD \). Substituting into the first equation: \( AC = CD + BC \), which is the same as \( BC + CD \), which is \( BD \).

Step four: write the proof of (a). 1. \( A \), \( B \), \( C \), \( D \) are collinear in that order; \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \). Reason: given. 2. \( AB = CD \). Reason: definition of congruent segments. 3. \( BC = BC \). Reason: reflexive property of equality. 4. \( AB + BC = CD + BC \). Reason: addition property of equality. 5. \( AC = AB + BC \) and \( BD = BC + CD \). Reason: segment addition postulate. 6. \( AC = BD \). Reason: substitution property of equality. 7. \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{BD} \). Reason: definition of congruent segments.

Step five: note the technique. The shared piece \( \overline{BC} \) was added to each of two congruent segments, producing two congruent wholes. That is the addition property doing geometric work, and it is the standard move for overlapping figures. The subtraction version appears when two congruent wholes share a piece and the remainders are wanted.

Step six: take inventory for (b). The triangles are \( \triangle EAC \) and \( \triangle EDB \). \( \overline{EA} \cong \overline{ED} \) is given. \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{DB} \) was just proved in part (a). That is two pairs of sides. A third pair is needed.

Step seven: find the third pair. The angle between \( \overline{EA} \) and \( \overline{AC} \) is \( \angle EAC \), which is the angle at \( A \) in the figure. The angle between \( \overline{ED} \) and \( \overline{DB} \) is \( \angle EDB \), the angle at \( D \). Since \( \overline{EA} \cong \overline{ED} \), triangle \( EAD \) is isosceles with base \( \overline{AD} \), so its base angles are congruent by the theorem of lesson 5.7: \( \angle EAD \cong \angle EDA \). And \( \angle EAC \) is the same angle as \( \angle EAD \), since \( C \) lies on \( \overline{AD} \) on the same side; likewise \( \angle EDB \) is the same as \( \angle EDA \). So \( \angle EAC \cong \angle EDB \).

Step eight: complete the proof and check the included condition. 8. \( \overline{EA} \cong \overline{ED} \). Reason: given. 9. \( \angle EAC \cong \angle EDB \). Reason: base angles of an isosceles triangle are congruent. 10. \( \triangle EAC \cong \triangle EDB \). Reason: SAS. Checking inclusion: in \( \triangle EAC \) the sides in hand are \( \overline{EA} \) and \( \overline{AC} \), meeting at \( A \), so \( \angle EAC \) is included. In \( \triangle EDB \) the sides are \( \overline{ED} \) and \( \overline{DB} \), meeting at \( D \), so \( \angle EDB \) is included. Legitimate. The correspondence is \( E \to E \), \( A \to D \), \( C \to B \), which matches the statement as written.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What property builds a congruent pair by adding a shared piece?
    Show the full solution

    The addition property of equality, with the segment or angle addition postulate

  2. If \( AB = CD \), what can you add to both to relate \( AC \) and \( BD \)?
    Show the full solution

    \( BC \), the shared piece

  3. What is the first step when a figure is confusing?
    Show the full solution

    Redraw the two triangles separately

  4. Two overlapping segments look equal. Is that a reason?
    Show the full solution

    No

  5. If \( m\angle ABD = m\angle CBE \) and they share \( \angle CBD \), what follows about \( \angle ABC \) and \( \angle DBE \)?
    Show the full solution

    Subtract the shared angle from each. They are congruent

  6. \( A \), \( B \), \( C \), \( D \) are collinear in order with \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{BD} \). Prove \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \).
    Show the full solution

    This is the subtraction version of the worked example. 1. \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{BD} \). Reason: given. 2. \( AC = BD \). Reason: definition of congruent segments. 3. \( AC = AB + BC \) and \( BD = BC + CD \). Reason: segment addition postulate. 4. \( AB + BC = BC + CD \). Reason: substitution property of equality. 5. \( AB = CD \). Reason: subtraction property of equality, subtracting \( BC \). 6. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \). Reason: definition of congruent segments. Proved by subtraction

  7. \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) and \( \overrightarrow{BE} \) lie in the interior of \( \angle ABC \) with \( \angle ABD \cong \angle CBE \). Prove \( \angle ABE \cong \angle CBD \).
    Show the full solution

    The two target angles overlap in the shared angle \( \angle DBE \). 1. \( \angle ABD \cong \angle CBE \). Reason: given. 2. \( m\angle ABD = m\angle CBE \). Reason: definition of congruent angles. 3. \( m\angle DBE = m\angle DBE \). Reason: reflexive property of equality. 4. \( m\angle ABD + m\angle DBE = m\angle CBE + m\angle DBE \). Reason: addition property of equality. 5. \( m\angle ABE = m\angle ABD + m\angle DBE \) and \( m\angle CBD = m\angle CBE + m\angle EBD \). Reason: angle addition postulate. 6. \( m\angle ABE = m\angle CBD \). Reason: substitution property of equality. 7. \( \angle ABE \cong \angle CBD \). Reason: definition of congruent angles. Proved by the angle addition version of the same technique

  8. Explain why overlapping figures are harder than separated ones.
    Show the full solution

    Three difficulties compound. First, the shared parts are invisible. A side belonging to both triangles looks like one line in the drawing, so a student scanning for three pairs may not notice it is available twice. The reflexive property line is the fix, and it is omitted more often here than anywhere else. Second, the parts that correspond are not adjacent on the page. In two separated triangles the corresponding sides are in matching positions and easy to pair. In an overlapping figure a side of one triangle may run through the middle of the other, so the correspondence has to be worked out from the vertex letters rather than seen. Third, some congruent pairs have to be built rather than read off. Two overlapping segments are congruent only because equal pieces were added to a shared piece, and that requires an addition or subtraction argument of several lines before a criterion can be cited at all. The remedy for all three is the same: redraw the triangles separately, list the vertices of each, and identify what is shared before looking for pairs. Shared parts are easy to miss, corresponding parts are not in matching positions, and some pairs must be built by addition rather than read from the diagram

  9. Given \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \) and \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{AE} \) with \( D \) on \( \overline{AB} \) and \( E \) on \( \overline{AC} \), prove \( \overline{DB} \cong \overline{EC} \).
    Show the full solution

    1. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \); \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{AE} \); \( D \) on \( \overline{AB} \); \( E \) on \( \overline{AC} \). Reason: given. 2. \( AB = AC \) and \( AD = AE \). Reason: definition of congruent segments. 3. \( AD + DB = AB \) and \( AE + EC = AC \). Reason: segment addition postulate. 4. \( AD + DB = AE + EC \). Reason: substitution property of equality, using \( AB = AC \). 5. \( AE + DB = AE + EC \). Reason: substitution property of equality, using \( AD = AE \). 6. \( DB = EC \). Reason: subtraction property of equality. 7. \( \overline{DB} \cong \overline{EC} \). Reason: definition of congruent segments. Proved by subtracting the congruent pieces from the congruent wholes

  10. In a figure, \( \triangle ABE \) and \( \triangle ACD \) overlap with \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \), \( \angle A \) shared, and \( \overline{AE} \cong \overline{AD} \). Prove \( \overline{BE} \cong \overline{CD} \) and then that \( \triangle BDF \cong \triangle CEF \), where \( F \) is the intersection of \( \overline{BE} \) and \( \overline{CD} \)? Determine what extra information is needed.
    Show the full solution

    First part, which the given supports. 1. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \); \( \overline{AE} \cong \overline{AD} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle A \cong \angle A \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 3. \( \triangle ABE \cong \triangle ACD \). Reason: SAS, with \( \angle A \) included between \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{AE} \) in the first triangle and between \( \overline{AC} \) and \( \overline{AD} \) in the second. 4. \( \overline{BE} \cong \overline{CD} \). Reason: CPCTC. Second part, which needs more work. The triangles \( \triangle BDF \) and \( \triangle CEF \) sit at the intersection point. From line 3 we also get \( \angle ABE \cong \angle ACD \) and \( \angle AEB \cong \angle ADC \) by CPCTC, and the vertical angles at \( F \) give \( \angle BFD \cong \angle CFE \). That is two angle pairs, so AAS or ASA would finish if one side pair were available. The natural candidate is \( \overline{BD} \cong \overline{CE} \), which follows by the subtraction argument of the previous problem: \( AB = AC \) and \( AD = AE \), with \( D \) on \( \overline{AB} \) and \( E \) on \( \overline{AC} \), give \( DB = EC \). What is needed. The problem as stated does not say that \( D \) lies on \( \overline{AB} \) and \( E \) on \( \overline{AC} \). Without that, the subtraction argument is unavailable and no side pair can be built, so the second congruence cannot be proved. With it, the proof completes by AAS. This is worth noticing as a habit: when a proof stalls, the question is usually which given is missing rather than which theorem was forgotten. The first congruence follows by SAS and CPCTC; the second needs the additional given that \( D \) lies on \( \overline{AB} \) and \( E \) on \( \overline{AC} \), and then follows by AAS

Lesson 5.7 · Unit 5 · G-CO.10

Two congruent sides, two congruent angles, and the converse that also holds

The base angles theorem is the most used result in the course after the triangle criteria themselves, and unusually its converse is also true. That makes the isosceles condition reversible, so a proof can move from sides to angles or from angles to sides as convenient.

The method
  1. An isosceles triangle has at least two congruent sides, called the legs, with the third called the base.
  2. The base angles are the two angles adjacent to the base, opposite the legs, and the vertex angle is between the legs.
  3. The base angles theorem: if two sides of a triangle are congruent, the angles opposite them are congruent.
  4. Its converse: if two angles of a triangle are congruent, the sides opposite them are congruent. Both directions are true, which is unusual.
  5. A triangle is equilateral if and only if it is equiangular, which follows by applying the theorem and its converse twice.
  6. Each angle of an equiangular triangle measures \( 60^\circ \), since three equal angles sum to \( 180^\circ \).
  7. In an isosceles triangle the segment from the vertex angle to the base is simultaneously the median, the altitude and the angle bisector, when any one of those is given.
  8. Identify the base before naming base angles, since which angles are which depends on which sides are congruent.

Where students lose marks: pairing the wrong angle with a side. The theorem says the angles opposite the congruent sides are congruent. If \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \), the congruent angles are \( \angle B \) and \( \angle C \), not \( \angle A \) with something.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Prove the base angles theorem. (b) In \( \triangle ABC \), \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \) and \( m\angle A = 40^\circ \). Find the other two angles. (c) In \( \triangle DEF \), \( m\angle D = m\angle E = 65^\circ \). What follows about the sides? (d) Prove that an equilateral triangle is equiangular.

Step one: set up the proof in (a). Given: \( \triangle ABC \) with \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \). Prove: \( \angle B \cong \angle C \). The two target angles are opposite the congruent sides, which is what the theorem claims.

Step two: make the auxiliary construction. Draw \( \overrightarrow{AD} \), the bisector of \( \angle A \), meeting \( \overline{BC} \) at \( D \). An angle bisector always exists, so this is legitimate. The construction is what makes the proof work: without it there is only one triangle and no congruence to use.

Step three: write the proof of (a). 1. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \overrightarrow{AD} \) bisects \( \angle BAC \). Reason: by construction. 3. \( \angle BAD \cong \angle CAD \). Reason: definition of an angle bisector. 4. \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{AD} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 5. \( \triangle BAD \cong \triangle CAD \). Reason: SAS. 6. \( \angle B \cong \angle C \). Reason: CPCTC.

Step four: check the included condition at line 5. In \( \triangle BAD \), the sides in hand are \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{AD} \), meeting at \( A \), so \( \angle BAD \) is included. In \( \triangle CAD \) the sides are \( \overline{AC} \) and \( \overline{AD} \), meeting at \( A \), so \( \angle CAD \) is included. Legitimate.

Step five: answer (b). Since \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \), the base is \( \overline{BC} \) and the base angles are \( \angle B \) and \( \angle C \), which are congruent by the theorem. The angle sum gives \( m\angle B + m\angle C = 180 - 40 = 140 \), and since the two are equal, each measures \( 70^\circ \). Check: \( 40 + 70 + 70 = 180 \). Correct.

Step six: answer (c). Two congruent angles means the converse applies: the sides opposite them are congruent. \( \angle D \) is opposite \( \overline{EF} \) and \( \angle E \) is opposite \( \overline{DF} \), so \( \overline{EF} \cong \overline{DF} \), making the triangle isosceles with \( \overline{DE} \) as its base. The third angle measures \( 180 - 65 - 65 = 50^\circ \), so the triangle is not equilateral.

Step seven: begin (d). Given: \( \triangle ABC \) with \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{BC} \cong \overline{CA} \). Prove: \( \angle A \cong \angle B \cong \angle C \). 1. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \). Reason: given, since all three sides are congruent. 2. \( \angle B \cong \angle C \). Reason: base angles theorem.

Step eight: apply the theorem a second time and finish. 3. \( \overline{BA} \cong \overline{BC} \). Reason: given. 4. \( \angle A \cong \angle C \). Reason: base angles theorem, now viewing \( \overline{AC} \) as the base. 5. \( \angle A \cong \angle B \cong \angle C \). Reason: transitive property of congruence, using lines 2 and 4. 6. Each measures \( 60^\circ \). Reason: the three congruent angles sum to \( 180^\circ \), so each is \( 180 \div 3 \). The key move is applying the theorem twice with a different pair of sides treated as the legs each time. The converse argument runs identically, using the converse theorem twice, to show that an equiangular triangle is equilateral.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. In \( \triangle ABC \) with \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \), which angles are congruent?
    Show the full solution

    \( \angle B \) and \( \angle C \)

  2. An isosceles triangle has a vertex angle of \( 80^\circ \). Find each base angle.
    Show the full solution

    \( (180 - 80) \div 2 \). \( 50^\circ \)

  3. What is each angle of an equilateral triangle?
    Show the full solution

    \( 60^\circ \)

  4. Two angles of a triangle measure \( 45^\circ \) each. What follows about the sides?
    Show the full solution

    By the converse of the base angles theorem. The sides opposite them are congruent

  5. An isosceles triangle has base angles of \( 72^\circ \). Find the vertex angle.
    Show the full solution

    \( 180 - 144 \). \( 36^\circ \)

  6. In \( \triangle ABC \), \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \), \( m\angle B = (3x + 10)^\circ \) and \( m\angle C = (5x - 20)^\circ \). Find all three angles.
    Show the full solution

    The congruent sides are \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{AC} \), so the base angles are \( \angle B \) and \( \angle C \), congruent by the base angles theorem. \( 3x + 10 = 5x - 20 \), giving \( 30 = 2x \) and \( x = 15 \). Each base angle measures \( 3(15) + 10 = 55^\circ \), confirmed by \( 5(15) - 20 = 55^\circ \). Vertex angle: \( m\angle A = 180 - 55 - 55 = 70^\circ \). Check: \( 70 + 55 + 55 = 180 \). Correct. \( 70^\circ \), \( 55^\circ \), \( 55^\circ \)

  7. An isosceles triangle has one angle of \( 100^\circ \). Find the other two, and explain why only one arrangement is possible.
    Show the full solution

    The \( 100^\circ \) angle must be the vertex angle. If it were a base angle, the other base angle would also measure \( 100^\circ \) and the two alone would sum to \( 200^\circ \), exceeding the total of \( 180^\circ \) available. Impossible. So \( 100^\circ \) is the vertex angle, and the two base angles share the remaining \( 80^\circ \) equally: \( 40^\circ \) each. Check: \( 100 + 40 + 40 = 180 \). Correct. The general principle: an obtuse or right angle in an isosceles triangle must be the vertex angle, since two of them would already exhaust or exceed the angle sum. Only an acute angle can be ambiguous. \( 40^\circ \) and \( 40^\circ \); an obtuse angle cannot be a base angle

  8. An isosceles triangle has one angle of \( 50^\circ \). Find all the possibilities.
    Show the full solution

    Since \( 50^\circ \) is acute, both arrangements are possible and both must be given. Case one: \( 50^\circ \) is the vertex angle. The two base angles share \( 180 - 50 = 130^\circ \), so each measures \( 65^\circ \). The triangle is \( 50^\circ \), \( 65^\circ \), \( 65^\circ \). Case two: \( 50^\circ \) is a base angle. Then the other base angle is also \( 50^\circ \), and the vertex angle is \( 180 - 100 = 80^\circ \). The triangle is \( 50^\circ \), \( 50^\circ \), \( 80^\circ \). Both check: each set sums to \( 180^\circ \) and each contains two equal angles. Giving only one case is the error here. The question did not say which angle was named, and both are genuinely possible triangles. Two possibilities: \( 50, 65, 65 \) or \( 50, 50, 80 \)

  9. Explain why the base angles theorem and its converse can both be true when most theorems have false converses.
    Show the full solution

    Nothing guarantees a converse is true; it has to be proved separately, and often it cannot be. The reason both hold here is that the isosceles condition and the equal-angle condition are genuinely equivalent for triangles, and each direction has its own proof. The forward proof, in the worked example, bisects the vertex angle and uses SAS to get two congruent triangles, then CPCTC for the angles. The converse proof runs similarly but uses AAS. Given \( \angle B \cong \angle C \) in \( \triangle ABC \), draw the bisector of \( \angle A \) meeting \( \overline{BC} \) at \( D \). Then \( \angle B \cong \angle C \) is given, \( \angle BAD \cong \angle CAD \) by the bisector, and \( \overline{AD} \) is shared. That is AAS, giving \( \triangle BAD \cong \triangle CAD \) and then \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \) by CPCTC. So both directions are provable, by different criteria, and the statement can be written as a biconditional: a triangle has two congruent sides if and only if it has two congruent angles. Contrast a theorem whose converse fails, such as "a linear pair is supplementary." No proof of the converse exists because the converse is false, and a counterexample settles it. The practical point remains the one from lesson 2.2: a converse's truth is never inherited and must always be checked. Each direction has its own proof, the forward one by SAS and the converse by AAS, so the conditions are genuinely equivalent

  10. In \( \triangle ABC \), \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \) and \( D \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{BC} \). Prove that \( \overline{AD} \) is both an altitude and the bisector of \( \angle A \).
    Show the full solution

    1. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \); \( D \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{BC} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \overline{BD} \cong \overline{DC} \). Reason: definition of midpoint. 3. \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{AD} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 4. \( \triangle ABD \cong \triangle ACD \). Reason: SSS. 5. \( \angle BAD \cong \angle CAD \). Reason: CPCTC. 6. \( \overline{AD} \) bisects \( \angle BAC \). Reason: definition of an angle bisector. 7. \( \angle ADB \cong \angle ADC \). Reason: CPCTC. 8. \( \angle ADB \) and \( \angle ADC \) form a linear pair. Reason: \( D \) lies on \( \overline{BC} \), so the two non-shared sides form a line. 9. \( \angle ADB \) and \( \angle ADC \) are supplementary. Reason: linear pair theorem. 10. \( m\angle ADB = 90 \). Reason: two congruent supplementary angles are right angles, from the theorem at the end of lesson 1.4. 11. \( \overline{AD} \perp \overline{BC} \). Reason: definition of perpendicular lines. 12. \( \overline{AD} \) is an altitude. Reason: definition of an altitude, a segment from a vertex perpendicular to the opposite side. This completes the picture from lesson 5.4: in an isosceles triangle, the median to the base, the altitude to the base, the angle bisector from the vertex, and the perpendicular bisector of the base are all the same segment. Any one of those four conditions implies the other three, which is why isosceles triangles appear so often in proof problems. Proved: SSS gives the congruence, and CPCTC yields both the angle bisector and the right angle

Unit 5 mixed review · 10 problems · all topics

Unit 5: Congruent Triangles

Several of these ask which criterion applies. Naming the wrong one, or naming SSA at all, costs the mark even when the conclusion is right.

  1. In \( \triangle ABC \), which angle is included between \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{BC} \)?
    Show the full solution

    The included angle is at the shared vertex. \( \angle B \)

  2. Which criterion uses three pairs of congruent sides?
    Show the full solution

    SSS

  3. Does two sides and a non-included angle prove congruence?
    Show the full solution

    No, SSA is not a valid criterion

  4. What must be established before HL can be used?
    Show the full solution

    That both triangles have a right angle

  5. At what point in a proof may CPCTC be cited?
    Show the full solution

    Only after the triangles have been proved congruent

  6. Given \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle DEF \), list the six pairs of corresponding parts.
    Show the full solution

    The letters' order encodes the correspondence: \( A \) with \( D \), \( B \) with \( E \), \( C \) with \( F \). Angles: \( \angle A \cong \angle D \), \( \angle B \cong \angle E \), \( \angle C \cong \angle F \). Sides: \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{DE} \), \( \overline{BC} \cong \overline{EF} \), \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{DF} \). Note that \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle EDF \) would be a different claim, true only if the triangles happen to match that way too. Three angle pairs and three side pairs, read off in order

  7. Two triangles share a side. Each has that side, plus one more congruent side and a congruent included angle. Name the criterion and the property that supplies the shared side.
    Show the full solution

    The shared side is congruent to itself by the reflexive property of congruence. With two pairs of sides and the angle between them, the criterion is SAS. SAS, with the reflexive property supplying the shared side

  8. An isosceles triangle has a vertex angle of \( 48^\circ \). Find each base angle.
    Show the full solution

    The base angles are congruent by the isosceles triangle theorem, and the three angles sum to \( 180^\circ \). \( \dfrac{180 - 48}{2} = \dfrac{132}{2} = 66^\circ \). Check: \( 66 + 66 + 48 = 180 \). Correct. \( 66^\circ \) each

  9. In an isosceles triangle the base angles are \( 5x \) and \( 3x + 16 \). Find all three angles.
    Show the full solution

    Base angles are congruent: \( 5x = 3x + 16 \), so \( 2x = 16 \) and \( x = 8 \). Each base angle: \( 5(8) = 40^\circ \). Vertex angle: \( 180 - 40 - 40 = 100^\circ \). Check the second expression: \( 3(8) + 16 = 40 \). Correct. Check the sum: \( 40 + 40 + 100 = 180 \). Correct. Note that the triangle is obtuse, which an isosceles triangle may certainly be. \( 40^\circ \), \( 40^\circ \) and \( 100^\circ \)

  10. Prove that in an isosceles triangle, the median to the base is also an altitude and an angle bisector.
    Show the full solution

    Given. \( \triangle ABC \) with \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \), and \( \overline{AM} \) the median to base \( \overline{BC} \), so \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{BC} \). Prove. \( \overline{AM} \perp \overline{BC} \) and \( \overline{AM} \) bisects \( \angle BAC \). Step one: prove the triangles congruent. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{AC} \). Reason: Given. \( \overline{BM} \cong \overline{MC} \). Reason: Definition of midpoint. \( \overline{AM} \cong \overline{AM} \). Reason: Reflexive property. \( \triangle ABM \cong \triangle ACM \). Reason: SSS. Step two: get the angle bisector. \( \angle BAM \cong \angle CAM \). Reason: CPCTC. So \( \overline{AM} \) bisects \( \angle BAC \) by the definition of an angle bisector. Step three: get the altitude. \( \angle AMB \cong \angle AMC \). Reason: CPCTC. \( \angle AMB \) and \( \angle AMC \) form a linear pair, since \( B \), \( M \) and \( C \) are collinear, so they are supplementary and their measures sum to \( 180^\circ \). Two congruent angles summing to \( 180^\circ \) each measure \( 90^\circ \). So \( \overline{AM} \perp \overline{BC} \) by the definition of perpendicular, which makes \( \overline{AM} \) an altitude. What this result means. In a general triangle the median, altitude and angle bisector from one vertex are three different segments. In an isosceles triangle, the one drawn to the base is all three at once, and it is also the perpendicular bisector of the base and the triangle's line of symmetry. That coincidence is why isosceles triangles appear so often in proofs: one segment supplies four different pieces of information. By SSS and CPCTC; the two angles at \( M \) are congruent and supplementary, so each is right

Lesson 6.1 · Unit 6 · G-CO.10

Equidistant from two points, and the one point equidistant from three

A perpendicular bisector is exactly the set of points equidistant from two endpoints, which is a stronger statement than it sounds: it says both that every such point is equidistant and that every equidistant point is on it. Applying that to all three sides of a triangle produces a single point equidistant from all three vertices.

The method
  1. The perpendicular bisector theorem: if a point is on the perpendicular bisector of a segment, then it is equidistant from the endpoints.
  2. The converse: if a point is equidistant from the endpoints, then it is on the perpendicular bisector. Both directions hold.
  3. The forward direction is proved by SAS and CPCTC; the converse by HL, using the perpendicular from the point to the segment.
  4. The three perpendicular bisectors of a triangle's sides are concurrent, meeting at one point called the circumcenter.
  5. The circumcenter is equidistant from all three vertices, which follows from applying the theorem twice and using transitivity.
  6. It is therefore the center of the circumscribed circle, the unique circle through all three vertices.
  7. Its position depends on the triangle: inside for an acute triangle, at the midpoint of the hypotenuse for a right triangle, outside for an obtuse triangle.
  8. On the coordinate plane, find it by intersecting two perpendicular bisectors, since the third adds no new information.

Where students lose marks: saying the circumcenter is equidistant from the sides. It is equidistant from the vertices. The point equidistant from the sides is the incenter of lesson 6.2, and the two are different points unless the triangle is equilateral.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Prove the perpendicular bisector theorem. (b) Find the circumcenter of the triangle with vertices \( A(0,0) \), \( B(6,0) \), \( C(0,8) \), and verify it is equidistant from all three. (c) State where the circumcenter lies for each type of triangle.

Step one: set up (a). Given: \( \ell \) is the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AB} \), meeting it at \( M \); \( P \) is a point on \( \ell \). Prove: \( PA = PB \).

Step two: extract what the definition gives. 1. \( \ell \) is the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AB} \), meeting it at \( M \); \( P \) is on \( \ell \). Reason: given. 2. \( \overline{AM} \cong \overline{MB} \). Reason: definition of a perpendicular bisector, which passes through the midpoint. 3. \( \angle PMA \) and \( \angle PMB \) are right angles. Reason: definition of a perpendicular bisector.

Step three: finish the proof of (a). 4. \( \angle PMA \cong \angle PMB \). Reason: right angle congruence theorem. 5. \( \overline{PM} \cong \overline{PM} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 6. \( \triangle PMA \cong \triangle PMB \). Reason: SAS, with the right angle included between \( \overline{PM} \) and \( \overline{MA} \). 7. \( \overline{PA} \cong \overline{PB} \). Reason: CPCTC. 8. \( PA = PB \). Reason: definition of congruent segments.

Step four: find the first perpendicular bisector for (b). Take \( \overline{AB} \), from \( (0,0) \) to \( (6,0) \). Its midpoint is \( (3, 0) \) and it is horizontal, so its perpendicular bisector is the vertical line \( x = 3 \).

Step five: find the second. Take \( \overline{AC} \), from \( (0,0) \) to \( (0,8) \). Its midpoint is \( (0, 4) \) and it is vertical, so its perpendicular bisector is the horizontal line \( y = 4 \).

Step six: intersect them. The lines \( x = 3 \) and \( y = 4 \) meet at \( (3, 4) \). That is the circumcenter. Only two bisectors were needed; the third passes through the same point automatically, which is what concurrency means.

Step seven: verify equidistance. To \( A(0,0) \): \( \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \). To \( B(6,0) \): differences \( -3 \) and 4, so \( \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \). To \( C(0,8) \): differences \( -3 \) and \( -4 \), so \( \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \). All three equal 5, so the circumradius is 5 and the circle centered at \( (3,4) \) with radius 5 passes through every vertex.

Step eight: answer (c) and check it against this example. For an acute triangle the circumcenter lies inside. For a right triangle it lies at the midpoint of the hypotenuse. For an obtuse triangle it lies outside, on the far side of the longest side. This triangle is right, with the right angle at \( A \) since \( \overline{AB} \) is horizontal and \( \overline{AC} \) is vertical. Its hypotenuse is \( \overline{BC} \), from \( (6,0) \) to \( (0,8) \), whose midpoint is \( \left( \dfrac{6+0}{2}, \dfrac{0+8}{2} \right) = (3, 4) \). That is exactly the circumcenter found, confirming the rule. The hypotenuse has length \( \sqrt{36 + 64} = 10 \), and half of it is 5, which matches the circumradius. In any right triangle the circumradius is half the hypotenuse, which is a useful fact in unit 10.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. A point is on the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AB} \). What follows?
    Show the full solution

    It is equidistant from \( A \) and \( B \)

  2. What is the circumcenter equidistant from?
    Show the full solution

    The three vertices

  3. Where is the circumcenter of a right triangle?
    Show the full solution

    At the midpoint of the hypotenuse

  4. How many perpendicular bisectors must you intersect to find the circumcenter?
    Show the full solution

    Two

  5. \( P \) is equidistant from \( A \) and \( B \). What follows?
    Show the full solution

    By the converse. \( P \) is on the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AB} \)

  6. Find the circumcenter of the triangle with vertices \( (0,0) \), \( (8,0) \), \( (0,6) \).
    Show the full solution

    Perpendicular bisector of the horizontal side from \( (0,0) \) to \( (8,0) \): the vertical line \( x = 4 \). Perpendicular bisector of the vertical side from \( (0,0) \) to \( (0,6) \): the horizontal line \( y = 3 \). They meet at \( (4, 3) \). Check: distance to \( (0,0) \) is \( \sqrt{16 + 9} = 5 \); to \( (8,0) \) is \( \sqrt{16 + 9} = 5 \); to \( (0,6) \) is \( \sqrt{16 + 9} = 5 \). All equal. The triangle is right at the origin, and \( (4,3) \) is the midpoint of the hypotenuse from \( (8,0) \) to \( (0,6) \), as the rule predicts. \( (4, 3) \), with circumradius 5

  7. A triangle has a circumradius of 13 and is right. Find the hypotenuse.
    Show the full solution

    In a right triangle the circumcenter is the midpoint of the hypotenuse, so the circumradius is half the hypotenuse. Therefore the hypotenuse is \( 2 \times 13 = 26 \). The reason: the midpoint of the hypotenuse is by definition equidistant from the two endpoints of the hypotenuse, at half its length each, and the circumcenter property says it is the same distance from the third vertex. 26

  8. Prove the converse of the perpendicular bisector theorem.
    Show the full solution

    Given: \( PA = PB \). Prove: \( P \) lies on the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AB} \). 1. \( PA = PB \). Reason: given. 2. Draw \( \overline{PM} \perp \overline{AB} \) with \( M \) on \( \overline{AB} \). Reason: through any point there is a perpendicular to a given line. 3. \( \angle PMA \) and \( \angle PMB \) are right angles. Reason: definition of perpendicular lines. 4. \( \triangle PMA \) and \( \triangle PMB \) are right triangles. Reason: definition of a right triangle. 5. \( \overline{PA} \cong \overline{PB} \). Reason: definition of congruent segments, from line 1. 6. \( \overline{PM} \cong \overline{PM} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 7. \( \triangle PMA \cong \triangle PMB \). Reason: HL, with \( \overline{PA} \) and \( \overline{PB} \) the hypotenuses. 8. \( \overline{AM} \cong \overline{MB} \). Reason: CPCTC. 9. \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \). Reason: definition of midpoint. 10. \( \overline{PM} \) is the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AB} \), so \( P \) lies on it. Reason: definition of a perpendicular bisector, using lines 2 and 9. Note that the converse needed HL while the forward direction needed SAS. Different criteria for different directions is typical. Proved by HL and CPCTC

  9. Explain why the three perpendicular bisectors meet at one point.
    Show the full solution

    Take \( \triangle ABC \) and let \( P \) be the intersection of the perpendicular bisectors of \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{BC} \). Those two lines are not parallel, since the sides they bisect are not parallel, so they do meet. Because \( P \) is on the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AB} \), the theorem gives \( PA = PB \). Because \( P \) is on the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{BC} \), the theorem gives \( PB = PC \). By the transitive property, \( PA = PC \). So \( P \) is equidistant from \( A \) and \( C \). By the converse of the theorem, \( P \) must lie on the perpendicular bisector of \( \overline{AC} \). So the third bisector passes through \( P \) as well, and all three are concurrent. Both directions of the theorem were needed: the forward direction to get the distances, and the converse to conclude the third line contains \( P \). That is why proving the converse in the previous problem was worth the trouble. The intersection of two bisectors is equidistant from all three vertices, and the converse then forces the third bisector through it

  10. Find the circumcenter of the triangle with vertices \( (1,1) \), \( (5,1) \), \( (3,5) \), and determine whether the triangle is acute, right or obtuse.
    Show the full solution

    First bisector. The side from \( (1,1) \) to \( (5,1) \) is horizontal with midpoint \( (3, 1) \), so its perpendicular bisector is \( x = 3 \). Second bisector. The side from \( (1,1) \) to \( (3,5) \) has midpoint \( (2, 3) \) and slope \( \dfrac{5-1}{3-1} = 2 \), so the perpendicular slope is \( -\dfrac{1}{2} \) and the bisector is \( y - 3 = -\dfrac{1}{2}(x - 2) \), that is \( y = -\dfrac{1}{2}x + 4 \). Intersect. At \( x = 3 \): \( y = -1.5 + 4 = 2.5 \). The circumcenter is \( (3, 2.5) \). Verify. To \( (1,1) \): differences \( -2 \) and \( -1.5 \), so \( \sqrt{4 + 2.25} = \sqrt{6.25} = 2.5 \). To \( (5,1) \): differences 2 and \( -1.5 \), so \( \sqrt{6.25} = 2.5 \). To \( (3,5) \): differences 0 and 2.5, so 2.5. All equal. Classify the triangle. The circumcenter \( (3, 2.5) \) lies inside the triangle, whose vertices span \( y \) from 1 to 5 and whose base runs from \( x = 1 \) to \( x = 5 \) at \( y = 1 \). A circumcenter inside means the triangle is acute. Confirming by side lengths: the base is 4; the two equal sides are \( \sqrt{4 + 16} = \sqrt{20} \approx 4.47 \). The largest side is \( \sqrt{20} \), and \( 4^2 + 20 = 36 \gt 20 \), so by the converse of the Pythagorean theorem in lesson 9.1 the largest angle is acute. Consistent. Circumcenter \( (3, 2.5) \), circumradius 2.5; the triangle is acute

Lesson 6.2 · Unit 6 · G-CO.10

Equidistant from two sides, and the circle that fits inside

The angle bisector has a distance property parallel to the perpendicular bisector's, but measured to lines rather than to points. Applying it to all three angles of a triangle gives the incenter, the center of the largest circle that fits inside.

The method
  1. The angle bisector theorem, distance version: a point on the bisector of an angle is equidistant from the two sides of the angle.
  2. Distance to a side means the perpendicular distance, from lesson 3.7.
  3. The converse: a point in the interior equidistant from the two sides lies on the bisector.
  4. The three angle bisectors of a triangle are concurrent, meeting at the incenter.
  5. The incenter is equidistant from all three sides, and that common distance is the inradius.
  6. It is the center of the inscribed circle, the largest circle fitting inside and touching all three sides.
  7. The incenter is always inside the triangle, unlike the circumcenter, since every angle bisector goes into the interior.
  8. The inradius satisfies \( r = \dfrac{\text{Area}}{s} \), where \( s \) is half the perimeter, which is a fast way to compute it.

Where students lose marks: confusing the incenter with the circumcenter. The incenter is equidistant from the sides and is always inside; the circumcenter is equidistant from the vertices and may be outside. Reading the word "vertices" or "sides" in the question settles which is meant.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Prove the angle bisector theorem in its distance form. (b) A right triangle has legs 3 and 4 and hypotenuse 5. Find its inradius two ways. (c) Explain why the incenter is always inside the triangle.

Step one: set up (a). Given: \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) bisects \( \angle ABC \); \( P \) is on \( \overrightarrow{BD} \); \( \overline{PX} \perp \overrightarrow{BA} \) and \( \overline{PY} \perp \overrightarrow{BC} \). Prove: \( PX = PY \).

Step two: extract the right angles and the bisected angles. 1. \( \overrightarrow{BD} \) bisects \( \angle ABC \); \( \overline{PX} \perp \overrightarrow{BA} \); \( \overline{PY} \perp \overrightarrow{BC} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle PBX \cong \angle PBY \). Reason: definition of an angle bisector. 3. \( \angle PXB \) and \( \angle PYB \) are right angles. Reason: definition of perpendicular lines. 4. \( \angle PXB \cong \angle PYB \). Reason: right angle congruence theorem.

Step three: finish the proof. 5. \( \overline{PB} \cong \overline{PB} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 6. \( \triangle PXB \cong \triangle PYB \). Reason: AAS, using the two angle pairs and the non-included shared side. 7. \( \overline{PX} \cong \overline{PY} \). Reason: CPCTC. 8. \( PX = PY \). Reason: definition of congruent segments.

Step four: note why AAS rather than ASA. The shared side \( \overline{PB} \) joins \( \angle PBX \) and \( \angle BXP \)? No: it joins vertex \( P \) and vertex \( B \), so it lies between \( \angle P \) and \( \angle B \), while the two known angle pairs are at \( B \) and at \( X \). The side is therefore not included between the two known angles, making this AAS.

Step five: compute the inradius the first way for (b). Use \( r = \dfrac{\text{Area}}{s} \). The triangle is right with legs 3 and 4, so its area is \( \dfrac{1}{2}(3)(4) = 6 \). The perimeter is \( 3 + 4 + 5 = 12 \), so \( s = 6 \). Therefore \( r = \dfrac{6}{6} = 1 \).

Step six: compute it the second way. For a right triangle there is a special formula: \( r = \dfrac{a + b - c}{2} \), where \( c \) is the hypotenuse. Here \( r = \dfrac{3 + 4 - 5}{2} = \dfrac{2}{2} = 1 \). The two methods agree.

Step seven: sanity check the answer. An inradius of 1 means a circle of radius 1 sits inside the triangle touching all three sides. The triangle's shortest dimension is the leg of length 3, and a circle of diameter 2 fits comfortably within it. A computed inradius larger than half the shortest side would be impossible and would signal an error.

Step eight: answer (c). An angle bisector of a triangle starts at a vertex and passes through the interior of that angle, so every point of it other than the vertex is inside the angle. The interior of the triangle is the intersection of the interiors of its three angles. The incenter lies on all three bisectors, so it is inside all three angles, and therefore inside the triangle. The circumcenter has no such guarantee, because a perpendicular bisector of a side is not confined to the interior; it extends indefinitely in both directions, and for an obtuse triangle the three of them meet outside. That contrast is the practical difference between the two centers, and it is why the inscribed circle always fits and the circumscribed circle may enclose a great deal of empty space.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is the incenter equidistant from?
    Show the full solution

    The three sides

  2. Is the incenter always inside the triangle?
    Show the full solution

    Yes

  3. What three lines meet at the incenter?
    Show the full solution

    The three angle bisectors

  4. What circle is centered at the incenter?
    Show the full solution

    The inscribed circle

  5. What does "distance to a side" mean?
    Show the full solution

    The perpendicular distance

  6. A triangle has area 30 and perimeter 30. Find its inradius.
    Show the full solution

    Half the perimeter is \( s = 15 \). \( r = \dfrac{\text{Area}}{s} = \dfrac{30}{15} = 2 \). 2

  7. A right triangle has legs 6 and 8. Find its inradius two ways.
    Show the full solution

    The hypotenuse is \( \sqrt{36 + 64} = 10 \). First way. Area is \( \dfrac{1}{2}(6)(8) = 24 \). Perimeter is \( 6 + 8 + 10 = 24 \), so \( s = 12 \). Then \( r = \dfrac{24}{12} = 2 \). Second way. For a right triangle, \( r = \dfrac{a + b - c}{2} = \dfrac{6 + 8 - 10}{2} = \dfrac{4}{2} = 2 \). The two agree. Note this triangle is the 3-4-5 of the worked example doubled, and its inradius doubled too, from 1 to 2, which is what scaling by a factor of 2 does to every length. 2

  8. Explain the difference between the circumcenter and the incenter in one paragraph.
    Show the full solution

    They are built from different lines and have different equidistance properties. The circumcenter is where the three perpendicular bisectors of the sides meet. It is equidistant from the three vertices, so it is the center of the circle passing through them, and it may lie inside, on, or outside the triangle depending on whether the triangle is acute, right or obtuse. The incenter is where the three angle bisectors meet. It is equidistant from the three sides, so it is the center of the circle touching them, and it always lies inside, because every angle bisector runs through the interior. The two coincide only for an equilateral triangle, where the symmetry makes every special point the same. The reading test for a question: if it says vertices or "circle through the vertices," the answer is the circumcenter; if it says sides or "circle inside," the answer is the incenter. Circumcenter: perpendicular bisectors, equidistant from vertices, may be outside. Incenter: angle bisectors, equidistant from sides, always inside

  9. An equilateral triangle has side 6. Find its inradius and circumradius, and comment.
    Show the full solution

    Area. An equilateral triangle of side \( a \) has height \( \dfrac{a\sqrt{3}}{2} \), so here the height is \( 3\sqrt{3} \) and the area is \( \dfrac{1}{2}(6)(3\sqrt{3}) = 9\sqrt{3} \approx 15.59 \). Inradius. The perimeter is 18, so \( s = 9 \) and \( r = \dfrac{9\sqrt{3}}{9} = \sqrt{3} \approx 1.73 \). Circumradius. In an equilateral triangle the center is also the centroid, which lies two thirds of the way along each median from the vertex. The median is the height, \( 3\sqrt{3} \), so the circumradius is \( \dfrac{2}{3}(3\sqrt{3}) = 2\sqrt{3} \approx 3.46 \). Comment. The circumradius is exactly twice the inradius, and the two circles are concentric because the incenter and circumcenter coincide. That happens only for equilateral triangles, where every median, altitude, angle bisector and perpendicular bisector is the same line, so all four centers of this unit fall together. Check: the inradius plus the circumradius is \( 3\sqrt{3} \), the full height, which is what the geometry requires since the center lies on the altitude at distance \( r \) from the base and \( R \) from the opposite vertex. Inradius \( \sqrt{3} \approx 1.73 \), circumradius \( 2\sqrt{3} \approx 3.46 \), concentric because all centers coincide

  10. A point inside an angle is 5 units from one side and 5 units from the other. What can be concluded, and what extra information would be needed to locate it exactly?
    Show the full solution

    What follows. By the converse of the angle bisector theorem, a point in the interior of an angle equidistant from both sides lies on the bisector of that angle. So the point is somewhere on the bisector. Why that is not enough. The bisector is a ray containing infinitely many points, and every one of them is equidistant from the two sides, at distances increasing with the distance from the vertex. Knowing the common distance is 5 narrows it to one point on the ray, provided the angle is known, because the distance from the vertex is then determined by trigonometry: if the angle measures \( 2\theta \), the point sits at distance \( \dfrac{5}{\sin\theta} \) from the vertex. What would pin it down. Either the measure of the angle, which fixes the position along the bisector as just described, or the distance from the vertex directly, or a third distance to some other line in the figure. This is the same situation as the circumcenter: one condition gives a line of candidates, and a second condition intersects it down to a point. The incenter is located by two such conditions, one from each of two angle bisectors. It lies on the angle bisector; its exact position needs the angle measure or the distance from the vertex

Lesson 6.3 · Unit 6 · G-CO.10

The balance point, and the two-to-one ratio

The three medians of a triangle also meet at a single point, and that point divides each median in a fixed ratio of two to one. On the coordinate plane the centroid has the simplest formula of any of the four centers: it is the average of the three vertices.

The method
  1. A median joins a vertex to the midpoint of the opposite side. Every triangle has three.
  2. The three medians are concurrent, meeting at the centroid.
  3. The centroid divides each median in a two-to-one ratio measured from the vertex, so the vertex-to-centroid piece is twice the centroid-to-midpoint piece.
  4. Equivalently, the centroid is two thirds of the way from each vertex to the opposite midpoint.
  5. On coordinates, the centroid is \( \left( \dfrac{x_1 + x_2 + x_3}{3}, \; \dfrac{y_1 + y_2 + y_3}{3} \right) \).
  6. The centroid is always inside the triangle, like the incenter.
  7. It is the balance point: a uniform triangular plate balances on its centroid.
  8. Check the two-to-one ratio by confirming the centroid is two thirds of the way along, which catches a ratio applied backward.

Where students lose marks: applying the ratio from the wrong end. The long piece is at the vertex. If a median has length 12, the vertex-to-centroid piece is 8 and the centroid-to-midpoint piece is 4, not the other way round.

Worked example

The problem. Triangle \( ABC \) has vertices \( A(0,0) \), \( B(6,0) \), \( C(0,9) \). (a) Find the centroid using the formula. (b) Find the median from \( A \) and verify the centroid lies two thirds along it. (c) If a median has length 15, find the two pieces.

Step one: apply the formula for (a). \[ \left( \frac{0 + 6 + 0}{3}, \; \frac{0 + 0 + 9}{3} \right) = \left( \frac{6}{3}, \frac{9}{3} \right) = (2, 3) \]

Step two: sanity check. The centroid should lie inside the triangle, which has vertices at the origin, at \( (6,0) \) and at \( (0,9) \). The point \( (2,3) \) has positive coordinates and satisfies \( \dfrac{x}{6} + \dfrac{y}{9} = \dfrac{2}{6} + \dfrac{3}{9} = \dfrac{1}{3} + \dfrac{1}{3} = \dfrac{2}{3} \), which is less than 1, so it lies inside the line through \( B \) and \( C \). Inside the triangle, as expected.

Step three: find the midpoint of \( \overline{BC} \) for (b). \( B(6,0) \) and \( C(0,9) \) give \( M = \left( \dfrac{6+0}{2}, \dfrac{0+9}{2} \right) = (3, 4.5) \).

Step four: describe the median from \( A \). It runs from \( A(0,0) \) to \( M(3, 4.5) \). Its length is \( \sqrt{9 + 20.25} = \sqrt{29.25} \approx 5.408 \).

Step five: compute the point two thirds along it. Starting at \( A(0,0) \) and moving two thirds of the way to \( M(3, 4.5) \): \( \left( \dfrac{2}{3} \times 3, \; \dfrac{2}{3} \times 4.5 \right) = (2, 3) \). That is exactly the centroid found in step one, confirming the two-to-one property on this median.

Step six: verify the ratio numerically. From \( A(0,0) \) to the centroid \( (2,3) \): \( \sqrt{4 + 9} = \sqrt{13} \approx 3.606 \). From the centroid \( (2,3) \) to \( M(3, 4.5) \): differences 1 and 1.5, so \( \sqrt{1 + 2.25} = \sqrt{3.25} \approx 1.803 \). The ratio is \( \dfrac{3.606}{1.803} = 2 \) exactly. Two to one, with the long piece at the vertex.

Step seven: check a second median as confirmation. The midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \), from \( (0,0) \) to \( (0,9) \), is \( (0, 4.5) \). The median from \( B(6,0) \) runs to \( (0,4.5) \). Two thirds along: \( \left( 6 + \dfrac{2}{3}(0 - 6), \; 0 + \dfrac{2}{3}(4.5 - 0) \right) = (6 - 4, \; 3) = (2, 3) \). The same point, which is the concurrency.

Step eight: answer (c). A median of length 15 is divided in a two-to-one ratio, so the three equal parts are 5 each. The vertex-to-centroid piece gets two of them and the centroid-to-midpoint piece gets one. Vertex to centroid: 10. Centroid to midpoint: 5. Check: \( 10 + 5 = 15 \), and \( 10 \) is twice \( 5 \). Correct. Reversing them would give 5 and 10, which still sums to 15 and is wrong; the check that catches it is remembering that the long piece touches the vertex.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does a median join?
    Show the full solution

    A vertex to the midpoint of the opposite side

  2. What is the intersection of the medians called?
    Show the full solution

    The centroid

  3. Find the centroid of the triangle with vertices \( (0,0) \), \( (3,0) \), \( (0,6) \).
    Show the full solution

    Average each coordinate. \( (1, 2) \)

  4. A median is 18 long. Find the vertex-to-centroid piece.
    Show the full solution

    Two thirds of 18. 12

  5. Is the centroid always inside the triangle?
    Show the full solution

    Yes

  6. Find the centroid of the triangle with vertices \( (2, 5) \), \( (8, 1) \), \( (-1, 3) \).
    Show the full solution

    \( x \): \( \dfrac{2 + 8 + (-1)}{3} = \dfrac{9}{3} = 3 \). \( y \): \( \dfrac{5 + 1 + 3}{3} = \dfrac{9}{3} = 3 \). \( (3, 3) \)

  7. The centroid-to-midpoint piece of a median is 7. Find the whole median.
    Show the full solution

    That short piece is one third of the median, since the pieces are in a two-to-one ratio and therefore split the median into three equal parts. Whole median: \( 3 \times 7 = 21 \). The vertex-to-centroid piece is \( 2 \times 7 = 14 \), and \( 14 + 7 = 21 \). Consistent. 21

  8. Two vertices of a triangle are \( (1, 2) \) and \( (7, 4) \), and the centroid is \( (4, 5) \). Find the third vertex.
    Show the full solution

    The centroid formula averages the three vertices, so multiply back. For \( x \): \( \dfrac{1 + 7 + x}{3} = 4 \), so \( 8 + x = 12 \) and \( x = 4 \). For \( y \): \( \dfrac{2 + 4 + y}{3} = 5 \), so \( 6 + y = 15 \) and \( y = 9 \). The third vertex is \( (4, 9) \). Check: \( \dfrac{1 + 7 + 4}{3} = 4 \) and \( \dfrac{2 + 4 + 9}{3} = 5 \). Correct. \( (4, 9) \)

  9. Explain why the centroid formula is the average of the vertices.
    Show the full solution

    Take vertices \( A(x_1, y_1) \), \( B(x_2, y_2) \), \( C(x_3, y_3) \). The midpoint of \( \overline{BC} \) is \( M = \left( \dfrac{x_2 + x_3}{2}, \dfrac{y_2 + y_3}{2} \right) \). The centroid is two thirds of the way from \( A \) to \( M \), so its coordinates are \( A + \dfrac{2}{3}(M - A) \). Working on the \( x \) coordinate: \( x_1 + \dfrac{2}{3}\left( \dfrac{x_2 + x_3}{2} - x_1 \right) = x_1 + \dfrac{x_2 + x_3}{3} - \dfrac{2x_1}{3} = \dfrac{x_1}{3} + \dfrac{x_2 + x_3}{3} = \dfrac{x_1 + x_2 + x_3}{3} \). The same computation on \( y \) gives \( \dfrac{y_1 + y_2 + y_3}{3} \). So the two-to-one ratio is exactly what produces the average, and the symmetry of the result explains the concurrency: the expression treats the three vertices identically, so starting from \( B \) or \( C \) instead gives the same point. That symmetry is a genuine proof of concurrency for the medians, and it is shorter than the synthetic argument. Two thirds of the way from a vertex to the opposite midpoint works out algebraically to the average, and the symmetric result proves the three medians concur

  10. In \( \triangle ABC \), the median from \( A \) meets \( \overline{BC} \) at \( M \), and \( G \) is the centroid with \( AG = 4x - 2 \) and \( GM = x + 3 \). Find the length of the median.
    Show the full solution

    The vertex-to-centroid piece is twice the centroid-to-midpoint piece: \( AG = 2 \cdot GM \). Substituting: \( 4x - 2 = 2(x + 3) \), so \( 4x - 2 = 2x + 6 \), giving \( 2x = 8 \) and \( x = 4 \). Then \( AG = 4(4) - 2 = 14 \) and \( GM = 4 + 3 = 7 \). Check the ratio: \( 14 = 2 \times 7 \). Correct, and the long piece is at the vertex as required. The whole median is \( AM = AG + GM = 14 + 7 = 21 \). A second check: the median should be three times the short piece, and \( 3 \times 7 = 21 \). Consistent. Note the trap: setting \( GM = 2 \cdot AG \) instead gives \( x + 3 = 8x - 4 \), so \( x = 1 \), with \( AG = 2 \) and \( GM = 4 \). That arrangement has the long piece at the midpoint end, which contradicts the theorem, and checking which piece touches the vertex catches it. The median is 21, with \( AG = 14 \) and \( GM = 7 \)

Lesson 6.4 · Unit 6 · G-CO.10

The perpendicular from a vertex, and the fourth center

An altitude is perpendicular to the opposite side, which sounds similar to a median and is different in almost every respect. Altitudes can fall outside the triangle, and their intersection can too, which makes the orthocenter the least well behaved of the four centers.

The method
  1. An altitude is a segment from a vertex perpendicular to the line containing the opposite side.
  2. The phrase "the line containing" matters, because in an obtuse triangle the foot of the altitude falls outside the side itself.
  3. An altitude is not usually a median. A median goes to a midpoint regardless of angle; an altitude goes perpendicular regardless of where it lands.
  4. The three altitudes are concurrent, meeting at the orthocenter.
  5. For an acute triangle the orthocenter is inside; for a right triangle it is at the right-angle vertex; for an obtuse triangle it is outside.
  6. In a right triangle two of the altitudes are the legs themselves, since each leg is perpendicular to the other.
  7. To find an altitude on coordinates, take the negative reciprocal of the opposite side's slope and use the vertex as the point.
  8. The altitude to a base is what the area formula uses, which is why the height in \( A = \frac{1}{2}bh \) must be perpendicular to the chosen base.

Where students lose marks: treating the altitude as going to the midpoint. It goes perpendicular, and it hits the midpoint only when the triangle is isosceles with that side as the base. In a scalene triangle the foot of the altitude and the midpoint are different points.

Worked example

The problem. Triangle \( ABC \) has vertices \( A(0,0) \), \( B(8,0) \), \( C(2,6) \). (a) Find the altitude from \( C \) and its foot. (b) Show the foot is not the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \). (c) Find the orthocenter. (d) State where the orthocenter lies for each type of triangle.

Step one: find the altitude from \( C \). The opposite side \( \overline{AB} \) runs from \( (0,0) \) to \( (8,0) \), which is horizontal with slope 0. A perpendicular to a horizontal line is vertical, so the altitude from \( C(2,6) \) is the vertical line \( x = 2 \).

Step two: find its foot. The foot is where \( x = 2 \) meets the line containing \( \overline{AB} \), which is \( y = 0 \). So the foot is \( (2, 0) \). The altitude has length 6, the vertical drop from \( (2,6) \) to \( (2,0) \).

Step three: answer (b). The midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \) is \( \left( \dfrac{0+8}{2}, 0 \right) = (4, 0) \). The foot of the altitude is \( (2, 0) \). These are different points, two units apart. So in this scalene triangle the altitude from \( C \) and the median from \( C \) are different segments, going to \( (2,0) \) and \( (4,0) \) respectively.

Step four: find a second altitude for (c). Take the altitude from \( A \). The opposite side \( \overline{BC} \) runs from \( (8,0) \) to \( (2,6) \), with slope \( \dfrac{6 - 0}{2 - 8} = \dfrac{6}{-6} = -1 \). The perpendicular slope is 1, so the altitude from \( A(0,0) \) is \( y = x \).

Step five: intersect the two altitudes. The altitude from \( C \) is \( x = 2 \) and the altitude from \( A \) is \( y = x \). Substituting: at \( x = 2 \), \( y = 2 \). The orthocenter is \( (2, 2) \).

Step six: verify with the third altitude. The altitude from \( B(8,0) \) is perpendicular to \( \overline{AC} \), which runs from \( (0,0) \) to \( (2,6) \) with slope \( \dfrac{6}{2} = 3 \). The perpendicular slope is \( -\dfrac{1}{3} \), so the altitude is \( y - 0 = -\dfrac{1}{3}(x - 8) \), that is \( y = -\dfrac{1}{3}x + \dfrac{8}{3} \). At \( x = 2 \): \( y = -\dfrac{2}{3} + \dfrac{8}{3} = \dfrac{6}{3} = 2 \). The third altitude passes through \( (2,2) \) as well, confirming concurrency.

Step seven: classify the triangle and check the position. The orthocenter \( (2,2) \) lies inside the triangle, since it is above \( \overline{AB} \) and within the span of the other two sides. That means the triangle is acute. Confirming: the side lengths are \( AB = 8 \), \( AC = \sqrt{4 + 36} = \sqrt{40} \approx 6.32 \), \( BC = \sqrt{36 + 36} = \sqrt{72} \approx 8.49 \). The longest is \( BC \), and \( AB^2 + AC^2 = 64 + 40 = 104 \), which exceeds \( BC^2 = 72 \), so the largest angle is acute. Consistent.

Step eight: answer (d). Acute triangle: orthocenter inside. Right triangle: orthocenter at the right-angle vertex, because two of the altitudes are the legs and they meet there. Obtuse triangle: orthocenter outside, on the far side of the obtuse angle. Comparing the four centers of this unit: the incenter and centroid are always inside, while the circumcenter and orthocenter move outside for obtuse triangles. For an equilateral triangle all four coincide.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is an altitude?
    Show the full solution

    A segment from a vertex perpendicular to the line containing the opposite side

  2. What is the intersection of the altitudes called?
    Show the full solution

    The orthocenter

  3. Where is the orthocenter of a right triangle?
    Show the full solution

    At the right-angle vertex

  4. Is an altitude always inside the triangle?
    Show the full solution

    No; in an obtuse triangle two of them fall outside

  5. Which two of the four centers are always inside?
    Show the full solution

    The incenter and the centroid

  6. Find the altitude from \( (0, 5) \) to the side joining \( (0,0) \) and \( (4, 0) \).
    Show the full solution

    The side is horizontal with slope 0, so the altitude is vertical through \( (0, 5) \), that is the line \( x = 0 \). Its foot is where \( x = 0 \) meets \( y = 0 \), the point \( (0, 0) \). So the altitude runs from \( (0,5) \) to \( (0,0) \) and has length 5. Notice its foot coincides with a vertex, which happens exactly when the triangle has a right angle there, and indeed the sides from \( (0,0) \) are vertical and horizontal. The segment from \( (0,5) \) to \( (0,0) \), of length 5

  7. In a right triangle with legs along the axes, name the three altitudes.
    Show the full solution

    Place the right angle at the origin with vertices \( (0,0) \), \( (a, 0) \) and \( (0, b) \). The altitude from \( (0,b) \) is perpendicular to the horizontal side, so it is the vertical segment from \( (0,b) \) to \( (0,0) \), which is the leg itself. The altitude from \( (a,0) \) is perpendicular to the vertical side, so it is the horizontal segment from \( (a,0) \) to \( (0,0) \), the other leg. The altitude from \( (0,0) \) is perpendicular to the hypotenuse and runs into the interior to meet it. So two of the three altitudes are the legs, and all three meet at \( (0,0) \), the right-angle vertex. That is why the orthocenter of a right triangle sits there. The two legs, plus the perpendicular from the right angle to the hypotenuse

  8. Find the orthocenter of the triangle with vertices \( (0,0) \), \( (6,0) \), \( (2, 4) \).
    Show the full solution

    Altitude from \( (2,4) \). The opposite side is horizontal, so this altitude is vertical: \( x = 2 \). Altitude from \( (0,0) \). The opposite side joins \( (6,0) \) and \( (2,4) \), with slope \( \dfrac{4 - 0}{2 - 6} = -1 \). The perpendicular slope is 1, so the altitude is \( y = x \). Intersect. At \( x = 2 \), \( y = 2 \). The orthocenter is \( (2, 2) \). Verify with the third. The side from \( (0,0) \) to \( (2,4) \) has slope 2, so the altitude from \( (6,0) \) has slope \( -\dfrac{1}{2} \): \( y = -\dfrac{1}{2}(x - 6) \). At \( x = 2 \): \( y = -\dfrac{1}{2}(-4) = 2 \). Passes through \( (2,2) \). Concurrent. \( (2, 2) \)

  9. Explain why an altitude and a median from the same vertex coincide only in special cases.
    Show the full solution

    They are defined by different conditions. The median is determined by where it lands, at the midpoint of the opposite side. The altitude is determined by the angle at which it meets, perpendicular to that side. There is no reason these should pick out the same segment. They coincide exactly when the perpendicular from the vertex happens to hit the midpoint, which by the converse of the perpendicular bisector theorem means the vertex is equidistant from the two endpoints of that side. In other words, the triangle is isosceles with that side as the base. Lesson 5.7 proved the full version: in an isosceles triangle, the altitude, median, angle bisector from the vertex angle, and perpendicular bisector of the base are all the same segment. In an equilateral triangle this holds for all three vertices, which is why all four centers of this unit coincide there. In a scalene triangle they never coincide, as the worked example showed with a foot at \( (2,0) \) and a midpoint at \( (4,0) \). They coincide only when the triangle is isosceles with that side as the base, since that is when the perpendicular from the vertex reaches the midpoint

  10. An obtuse triangle has vertices \( (0,0) \), \( (6,0) \), \( (8, 3) \). Find the orthocenter and confirm it lies outside.
    Show the full solution

    Confirm the triangle is obtuse first. Side lengths: from \( (0,0) \) to \( (6,0) \) is 6; from \( (6,0) \) to \( (8,3) \) is \( \sqrt{4 + 9} = \sqrt{13} \approx 3.61 \); from \( (0,0) \) to \( (8,3) \) is \( \sqrt{64 + 9} = \sqrt{73} \approx 8.54 \). The longest side is \( \sqrt{73} \), opposite the vertex \( (6,0) \). Testing: \( 6^2 + 13 = 49 \), which is less than 73, so by the converse of the Pythagorean theorem that angle is obtuse. Altitude from \( (8,3) \). The opposite side is horizontal, so the altitude is vertical: \( x = 8 \). Note its foot is at \( (8, 0) \), which is outside the segment from \( (0,0) \) to \( (6,0) \). That is the "line containing" clause of the definition doing its work. Altitude from \( (0,0) \). The opposite side joins \( (6,0) \) and \( (8,3) \), with slope \( \dfrac{3}{2} \). The perpendicular slope is \( -\dfrac{2}{3} \), so the altitude is \( y = -\dfrac{2}{3}x \). Intersect. At \( x = 8 \): \( y = -\dfrac{16}{3} \approx -5.33 \). The orthocenter is \( \left( 8, -\dfrac{16}{3} \right) \). Confirm it is outside. The triangle lies entirely in the region with \( y \) between 0 and 3, and \( x \) between 0 and 8. The orthocenter has \( y \approx -5.33 \), well below the triangle. Outside, as the rule for obtuse triangles predicts. \( \left( 8, -\frac{16}{3} \right) \), outside the triangle

Lesson 6.5 · Unit 6 · G-CO.10

Joining two midpoints, and getting parallel and half for free

Connect the midpoints of two sides of a triangle and the resulting segment is parallel to the third side and exactly half its length. Both conclusions come from one construction, and the theorem is used constantly in unit 7 for trapezoids and in coordinate proofs.

The method
  1. A midsegment joins the midpoints of two sides of a triangle. Every triangle has three.
  2. The midsegment theorem: a midsegment is parallel to the third side and half its length.
  3. Both conclusions matter and a problem may need either.
  4. On coordinates it is easy to verify: compute the two midpoints, then compare the slope and length with the third side.
  5. The three midsegments form a triangle similar to the original with scale factor \( \dfrac{1}{2} \).
  6. That inner triangle has half the perimeter and a quarter of the area, which is the scaling rule from lesson 11.6.
  7. The converse also holds: a segment through the midpoint of one side parallel to another side bisects the third side.
  8. Use it to find a missing length by doubling the midsegment or halving the third side.

Where students lose marks: using the theorem on a segment that is not a midsegment. Both endpoints must be midpoints. A segment joining a midpoint to some other point on a side is not a midsegment and nothing in this lesson applies to it.

Worked example

The problem. Triangle \( ABC \) has vertices \( A(0,0) \), \( B(8,0) \), \( C(2,6) \). (a) Find the midsegment joining the midpoints of \( \overline{AC} \) and \( \overline{BC} \). (b) Verify it is parallel to \( \overline{AB} \) and half its length. (c) Find all three midsegments and the perimeter of the triangle they form. (d) Compare with the original perimeter.

Step one: find the two midpoints for (a). Midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \), from \( (0,0) \) to \( (2,6) \): \( \left( \dfrac{0+2}{2}, \dfrac{0+6}{2} \right) = (1, 3) \). Midpoint of \( \overline{BC} \), from \( (8,0) \) to \( (2,6) \): \( \left( \dfrac{8+2}{2}, \dfrac{0+6}{2} \right) = (5, 3) \).

Step two: describe the midsegment. It joins \( (1,3) \) to \( (5,3) \). Both endpoints have \( y = 3 \), so the segment is horizontal, and its length is \( 5 - 1 = 4 \).

Step three: check parallelism for (b). The third side \( \overline{AB} \) runs from \( (0,0) \) to \( (8,0) \), which is horizontal with slope 0. The midsegment is also horizontal with slope 0. Equal slopes and different positions, so they are parallel.

Step four: check the length. \( AB = 8 \) and the midsegment is 4. \( 4 = \dfrac{1}{2}(8) \). Half, as the theorem requires. Both conclusions verified.

Step five: find the other two midsegments for (c). Midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \): \( (4, 0) \). Midsegment joining \( (4,0) \) to the midpoint of \( \overline{BC} \), which is \( (5,3) \): length \( \sqrt{1 + 9} = \sqrt{10} \approx 3.162 \). Midsegment joining \( (4,0) \) to the midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \), which is \( (1,3) \): length \( \sqrt{9 + 9} = \sqrt{18} = 3\sqrt{2} \approx 4.243 \).

Step six: check each against its third side. The midsegment from \( (4,0) \) to \( (5,3) \) should be half of \( \overline{AC} \). And \( AC = \sqrt{4 + 36} = \sqrt{40} \approx 6.325 \), whose half is \( \approx 3.162 \). Matches. The midsegment from \( (4,0) \) to \( (1,3) \) should be half of \( \overline{BC} \). And \( BC = \sqrt{36 + 36} = \sqrt{72} \approx 8.485 \), whose half is \( \approx 4.243 \). Matches.

Step seven: compute the inner triangle's perimeter. \( 4 + \sqrt{10} + 3\sqrt{2} \approx 4 + 3.162 + 4.243 = 11.405 \).

Step eight: answer (d). The original perimeter is \( AB + AC + BC = 8 + \sqrt{40} + \sqrt{72} \approx 8 + 6.325 + 8.485 = 22.810 \). The inner perimeter is \( 11.405 \), which is exactly half. That had to happen: each midsegment is half its corresponding side, so the sum of the three is half the sum of the three sides. The inner triangle is similar to the original with scale factor \( \dfrac{1}{2} \), which by lesson 11.6 means half the perimeter and a quarter of the area. The original area is \( \dfrac{1}{2}(8)(6) = 24 \), so the inner triangle's area is 6, and the three corner triangles account for the other 18, six each. All four small triangles are congruent, which is a pleasing consequence worth checking on a drawing.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does a midsegment join?
    Show the full solution

    The midpoints of two sides of a triangle

  2. A midsegment is 7. How long is the third side?
    Show the full solution

    14

  3. A side is 22. How long is the midsegment parallel to it?
    Show the full solution

    11

  4. How many midsegments does a triangle have?
    Show the full solution

    Three

  5. What is the relationship between a midsegment and the third side, besides length?
    Show the full solution

    They are parallel

  6. Find the midsegment of the triangle \( (0,0) \), \( (10,0) \), \( (4,8) \) parallel to the horizontal side, and verify the theorem.
    Show the full solution

    The midsegment parallel to the side from \( (0,0) \) to \( (10,0) \) joins the midpoints of the other two sides. Midpoint of the side from \( (0,0) \) to \( (4,8) \): \( (2, 4) \). Midpoint of the side from \( (10,0) \) to \( (4,8) \): \( (7, 4) \). The midsegment runs from \( (2,4) \) to \( (7,4) \), horizontal with length 5. The third side is horizontal with length 10. Parallel: both slopes are 0. Half: \( 5 = \dfrac{1}{2}(10) \). Both verified. From \( (2,4) \) to \( (7,4) \), length 5, parallel to and half of the side of length 10

  7. A triangle has perimeter 36. Find the perimeter of the triangle formed by its three midsegments.
    Show the full solution

    Each midsegment is half the side it is parallel to, so the three midsegments are halves of the three sides. Their sum is therefore half the sum of the sides: \( \dfrac{1}{2}(36) = 18 \). 18

  8. In \( \triangle ABC \), \( D \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AB} \) and \( E \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \). If \( DE = 3x - 4 \) and \( BC = 4x + 6 \), find both lengths.
    Show the full solution

    \( \overline{DE} \) is a midsegment, so \( BC = 2 \cdot DE \): \( 4x + 6 = 2(3x - 4) \), giving \( 4x + 6 = 6x - 8 \), so \( 14 = 2x \) and \( x = 7 \). Then \( DE = 3(7) - 4 = 17 \) and \( BC = 4(7) + 6 = 34 \). Check: \( 34 = 2 \times 17 \). Correct, with the midsegment the shorter of the two as it must be. The trap is writing \( DE = 2 \cdot BC \), which gives \( x = -3.2 \) and negative lengths, an immediate signal of the error. \( DE = 17 \) and \( BC = 34 \)

  9. Prove the midsegment theorem using coordinates.
    Show the full solution

    Place the triangle conveniently, which is allowed because any triangle can be positioned this way by a rigid motion and rigid motions preserve everything in the claim. Let \( A(0,0) \), \( B(2b, 0) \) and \( C(2c, 2d) \), using even coefficients so the midpoints have whole-number-looking coordinates. Midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \): \( M = \left( \dfrac{0 + 2c}{2}, \dfrac{0 + 2d}{2} \right) = (c, d) \). Midpoint of \( \overline{BC} \): \( N = \left( \dfrac{2b + 2c}{2}, \dfrac{0 + 2d}{2} \right) = (b + c, d) \). Parallel. The segment \( \overline{MN} \) has both endpoints at \( y = d \), so its slope is 0. The side \( \overline{AB} \) has both endpoints at \( y = 0 \), so its slope is also 0. Equal slopes, and the lines are distinct provided \( d \neq 0 \), which holds since \( C \) is not on \( \overline{AB} \). So \( \overline{MN} \parallel \overline{AB} \). Half the length. \( MN = (b + c) - c = b \), and \( AB = 2b - 0 = 2b \). So \( MN = \dfrac{1}{2}AB \). Both conclusions hold for arbitrary \( b \), \( c \), \( d \), so the theorem is proved in general and not merely for one triangle. The choice of coordinates was a convenience, not an assumption, which is the technique coordinate proofs rely on. Proved: the midpoints both have \( y = d \), giving parallelism, and the horizontal separation is \( b \) against the side's \( 2b \)

  10. The three midsegments divide a triangle into four smaller triangles. Prove they are all congruent, and find the area of each if the original has area 40.
    Show the full solution

    Setting up. Let \( \triangle ABC \) have midpoints \( D \) on \( \overline{AB} \), \( E \) on \( \overline{BC} \), \( F \) on \( \overline{AC} \). The three midsegments \( \overline{DE} \), \( \overline{EF} \), \( \overline{DF} \) create the inner triangle \( \triangle DEF \) and three corner triangles \( \triangle ADF \), \( \triangle DBE \), \( \triangle FEC \). Lengths. By the midsegment theorem, \( DE = \dfrac{1}{2}AC = AF = FC \), \( EF = \dfrac{1}{2}AB = AD = DB \), and \( DF = \dfrac{1}{2}BC = BE = EC \). Corner against inner. In \( \triangle ADF \) the sides are \( AD \), \( AF \) and \( DF \). In \( \triangle DEF \) the sides are \( DE \), \( EF \) and \( DF \). From the list above, \( AD = EF \), \( AF = DE \), and \( DF = DF \). Three pairs of congruent sides, so \( \triangle ADF \cong \triangle EFD \) by SSS. The same argument applies to the other two corners, so all four triangles are congruent to each other. Area. Four congruent triangles partition the original, so each has one quarter of its area: \( \dfrac{40}{4} = 10 \). Consistency check. The inner triangle is similar to the original with scale factor \( \dfrac{1}{2} \), and lesson 11.6 says area scales by the square of the factor, so its area should be \( \left(\dfrac{1}{2}\right)^2 \times 40 = 10 \). It agrees, which is a genuine check since the two arguments are independent. All four are congruent by SSS, and each has area 10

Lesson 6.6 · Unit 6 · G-CO.10

The larger angle faces the longer side

Congruence has dominated the course so far, and the remaining two lessons deal with inequality: not whether two things are equal, but which is bigger. One relationship covers most of it, and like the base angles theorem it works in both directions.

The method
  1. In any triangle, the longer side is opposite the larger angle.
  2. The converse also holds: the larger angle is opposite the longer side.
  3. To order the sides, order the angles, and match each side to the angle across from it.
  4. The exterior angle inequality: an exterior angle of a triangle is greater than either remote interior angle.
  5. The exterior angle theorem is stronger: an exterior angle equals the sum of the two remote interior angles, from which the inequality follows.
  6. In a right triangle the hypotenuse is always the longest side, because it is opposite the largest angle.
  7. Identify the side opposite an angle by finding the side not touching that vertex.
  8. Check an ordering by confirming both lists run the same way, smallest angle with shortest side.

Where students lose marks: pairing an angle with a side that touches it. The relationship is with the opposite side. In \( \triangle ABC \), \( \angle A \) is opposite \( \overline{BC} \), the side whose name does not contain \( A \).

Worked example

The problem. (a) In \( \triangle ABC \), \( m\angle A = 40^\circ \), \( m\angle B = 60^\circ \). Order the sides from shortest to longest. (b) In \( \triangle DEF \), \( DE = 5 \), \( EF = 7 \), \( DF = 9 \). Order the angles from smallest to largest. (c) Prove the exterior angle inequality. (d) Explain why the hypotenuse is the longest side of a right triangle.

Step one: find the third angle in (a). \( m\angle C = 180 - 40 - 60 = 80^\circ \). So the angles in increasing order are \( \angle A \) at \( 40^\circ \), \( \angle B \) at \( 60^\circ \), \( \angle C \) at \( 80^\circ \).

Step two: match each angle to its opposite side. \( \angle A \) is opposite \( \overline{BC} \). \( \angle B \) is opposite \( \overline{AC} \). \( \angle C \) is opposite \( \overline{AB} \). The rule for finding the opposite side: it is the one whose two letters exclude the vertex letter.

Step three: write the ordering for (a). Sides follow their opposite angles in the same order, so from shortest to longest: \( \overline{BC} \), \( \overline{AC} \), \( \overline{AB} \).

Step four: order the angles in (b). The sides in increasing order are \( DE = 5 \), \( EF = 7 \), \( DF = 9 \). \( \overline{DE} \) is opposite \( \angle F \). \( \overline{EF} \) is opposite \( \angle D \). \( \overline{DF} \) is opposite \( \angle E \). So from smallest to largest: \( \angle F \), \( \angle D \), \( \angle E \).

Step five: set up the proof in (c). Given: \( \triangle ABC \) with \( \angle ACD \) an exterior angle at \( C \), where \( D \) is on ray \( \overrightarrow{BC} \) beyond \( C \). Prove: \( m\angle ACD \gt m\angle A \) and \( m\angle ACD \gt m\angle B \).

Step six: prove it from the exterior angle theorem. 1. \( \angle ACD \) is an exterior angle of \( \triangle ABC \) at \( C \). Reason: given. 2. \( m\angle ACD = m\angle A + m\angle B \). Reason: exterior angle theorem. 3. \( m\angle A \gt 0 \) and \( m\angle B \gt 0 \). Reason: an angle of a triangle has positive measure. 4. \( m\angle ACD \gt m\angle A \) and \( m\angle ACD \gt m\angle B \). Reason: adding a positive quantity to a number makes it larger. The inequality is weaker than the equality of line 2, but it is the form needed for comparison arguments, and it holds in geometries where the equality does not.

Step seven: answer (d). In a right triangle one angle measures \( 90^\circ \), and the other two sum to \( 90^\circ \), so each is less than \( 90^\circ \). The right angle is therefore the largest of the three. By the theorem of this lesson, the longest side is opposite the largest angle, and the side opposite the right angle is the hypotenuse. So the hypotenuse is the longest side.

Step eight: check (a) and (b) numerically for consistency. For (a), suppose the triangle has \( AB = 10 \). By the law of sines, \( \dfrac{BC}{\sin 40^\circ} = \dfrac{10}{\sin 80^\circ} \), so \( BC = \dfrac{10 \times 0.643}{0.985} \approx 6.53 \), and \( AC = \dfrac{10 \times 0.866}{0.985} \approx 8.79 \). Ordering: \( 6.53 \lt 8.79 \lt 10 \), that is \( BC \lt AC \lt AB \), exactly as predicted from the angles. For (b), the largest angle \( \angle E \) is opposite the side of length 9. Checking with the law of cosines: \( 81 = 25 + 49 - 2(5)(7)\cos E \), so \( \cos E = \dfrac{74 - 81}{70} = -0.1 \) and \( m\angle E \approx 95.7^\circ \), obtuse and clearly the largest. Consistent.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. In \( \triangle ABC \), which side is opposite \( \angle B \)?
    Show the full solution

    \( \overline{AC} \)

  2. The largest angle of a triangle is opposite which side?
    Show the full solution

    The longest

  3. Which is the longest side of a right triangle?
    Show the full solution

    The hypotenuse

  4. An exterior angle measures \( 110^\circ \). What do you know about each remote interior angle?
    Show the full solution

    Each is less than \( 110^\circ \)

  5. An exterior angle measures \( 130^\circ \) and one remote interior angle is \( 50^\circ \). Find the other.
    Show the full solution

    By the exterior angle theorem, \( 130 - 50 \). \( 80^\circ \)

  6. In \( \triangle PQR \), \( m\angle P = 35^\circ \) and \( m\angle Q = 85^\circ \). Order the sides.
    Show the full solution

    Third angle: \( m\angle R = 180 - 35 - 85 = 60^\circ \). Angles in order: \( \angle P \) at \( 35^\circ \), \( \angle R \) at \( 60^\circ \), \( \angle Q \) at \( 85^\circ \). Opposite sides: \( \angle P \) faces \( \overline{QR} \), \( \angle R \) faces \( \overline{PQ} \), \( \angle Q \) faces \( \overline{PR} \). \( \overline{QR} \lt \overline{PQ} \lt \overline{PR} \)

  7. In \( \triangle XYZ \), \( XY = 12 \), \( YZ = 8 \), \( XZ = 15 \). Order the angles.
    Show the full solution

    Sides in increasing order: \( YZ = 8 \), \( XY = 12 \), \( XZ = 15 \). Opposite angles: \( \overline{YZ} \) faces \( \angle X \), \( \overline{XY} \) faces \( \angle Z \), \( \overline{XZ} \) faces \( \angle Y \). So the angles in increasing order are \( \angle X \), \( \angle Z \), \( \angle Y \). Sanity check on the largest: \( 8^2 + 12^2 = 64 + 144 = 208 \), which exceeds \( 15^2 = 225 \)? No, \( 208 \lt 225 \), so \( \angle Y \) is obtuse, consistent with it being the largest. \( \angle X \lt \angle Z \lt \angle Y \)

  8. In an isosceles triangle with vertex angle \( 100^\circ \), which side is longest?
    Show the full solution

    The base angles are each \( (180 - 100) \div 2 = 40^\circ \). So the angles are \( 100^\circ \), \( 40^\circ \), \( 40^\circ \), and the largest is the vertex angle. The side opposite the vertex angle is the base. So the base is the longest side, and the two congruent legs are shorter. This is worth noting because "leg" sounds like it should be longer than "base." In an isosceles triangle with an obtuse vertex angle the base is longest; with an acute vertex angle the legs are longest; with a \( 60^\circ \) vertex angle the triangle is equilateral and all three are equal. The base, since it is opposite the largest angle

  9. Explain why the exterior angle inequality follows from the exterior angle theorem.
    Show the full solution

    The exterior angle theorem says an exterior angle equals the sum of the two remote interior angles: \( m\angle \text{ext} = m\angle 1 + m\angle 2 \). Both remote interior angles are angles of a triangle, so both have positive measure. Adding a positive number to \( m\angle 1 \) produces something larger than \( m\angle 1 \), so \( m\angle \text{ext} \gt m\angle 1 \). The same argument with the roles swapped gives \( m\angle \text{ext} \gt m\angle 2 \). That is the inequality, obtained in one line from the equality. The inequality is worth stating separately because it is what comparison arguments use, and because it is the weaker statement that survives in contexts where the equality does not. The equality depends on the angle sum of a triangle being exactly \( 180^\circ \), which in turn depends on the parallel postulate; the inequality can be proved without it. The exterior angle equals a sum including the remote interior angle plus a positive quantity, so it exceeds it

  10. In \( \triangle ABC \), \( m\angle A = (2x + 10)^\circ \), \( m\angle B = (3x)^\circ \), \( m\angle C = (x + 50)^\circ \). Order the sides.
    Show the full solution

    Find \( x \). The angles sum to \( 180^\circ \): \( (2x + 10) + 3x + (x + 50) = 180 \), so \( 6x + 60 = 180 \), giving \( 6x = 120 \) and \( x = 20 \). Find the angles. \( m\angle A = 2(20) + 10 = 50^\circ \). \( m\angle B = 3(20) = 60^\circ \). \( m\angle C = 20 + 50 = 70^\circ \). Check: \( 50 + 60 + 70 = 180 \). Correct. Order the angles. \( \angle A \lt \angle B \lt \angle C \). Match to opposite sides. \( \angle A \) faces \( \overline{BC} \), \( \angle B \) faces \( \overline{AC} \), \( \angle C \) faces \( \overline{AB} \). So the sides in increasing order are \( \overline{BC} \), \( \overline{AC} \), \( \overline{AB} \). Note the triangle is acute, since the largest angle is \( 70^\circ \), so no side is dramatically longer than the others. The ordering is still strict because all three angles differ. \( \overline{BC} \lt \overline{AC} \lt \overline{AB} \)

Lesson 6.7 · Unit 6 · G-CO.10

Which three lengths can be a triangle, and comparing two of them

Not every three lengths form a triangle, and one short inequality decides. A companion result compares two triangles that share two sides: the one with the wider angle between them has the longer third side, which is exactly how a hinge behaves.

The method
  1. The triangle inequality: the sum of any two sides of a triangle exceeds the third.
  2. Three lengths form a triangle exactly when all three inequalities hold, although checking the two shortest against the longest is enough.
  3. Given two sides \( a \) and \( b \), the third side \( x \) satisfies \( |a - b| \lt x \lt a + b \).
  4. The inequalities are strict. If the sum equals the third side, the three points are collinear and the triangle is degenerate.
  5. The hinge theorem: if two triangles have two pairs of congruent sides and different included angles, the longer third side is opposite the larger angle.
  6. Its converse: if the third sides differ, the larger included angle is in the triangle with the longer third side.
  7. Picture a door: the two sides are the hinge edge and the door edge, and opening it wider increases the distance across.
  8. Check any triangle's side lengths against the inequality before computing anything else with them.

Where students lose marks: forgetting the lower bound on the third side. Given sides 7 and 11, the third must satisfy \( 4 \lt x \lt 18 \). Reporting only \( x \lt 18 \) omits half the answer, and a third side of 2 is just as impossible as one of 20.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Can 4, 5 and 10 form a triangle? (b) Given sides 7 and 11, find the range of the third side. (c) Two triangles have sides 6 and 9 with included angles of \( 50^\circ \) and \( 80^\circ \). Compare the third sides. (d) Explain why the triangle inequality must hold.

Step one: test (a) against the longest side. The longest is 10, so the critical check is whether the other two sum to more than it: \( 4 + 5 = 9 \), and \( 9 \lt 10 \). The inequality fails.

Step two: confirm the other checks are unnecessary. \( 4 + 10 = 14 \gt 5 \) and \( 5 + 10 = 15 \gt 4 \), both fine. Only the check involving the longest side can fail, which is why testing the two shortest against the longest suffices. Since one inequality fails, these lengths cannot form a triangle.

Step three: picture the failure. Lay the side of length 10 flat. From one end swing an arc of radius 4 and from the other an arc of radius 5. The arcs reach \( 4 + 5 = 9 \) units toward each other across a gap of 10, so they fall short by 1 and never meet. With no intersection there is no third vertex and no triangle.

Step four: find the upper bound in (b). The third side must be less than the sum of the other two: \( x \lt 7 + 11 = 18 \).

Step five: find the lower bound. The inequality must also hold with \( x \) as one of the two being summed. Taking \( x + 7 \gt 11 \) gives \( x \gt 4 \), and taking \( x + 11 \gt 7 \) gives \( x \gt -4 \), which is automatic. So the binding constraint is \( x \gt 4 \), which is \( |11 - 7| \). The full range is \( 4 \lt x \lt 18 \).

Step six: test the endpoints to see why the inequalities are strict. At \( x = 18 \): the sides 7, 11 and 18 give \( 7 + 11 = 18 \), so the two shorter sides lie flat along the longest with no angle between them. The three points are collinear and the figure has zero area. At \( x = 4 \): \( 4 + 7 = 11 \), collinear again with the shorter sides folded back along the longest. Both endpoints are degenerate, which is why the inequalities exclude them.

Step seven: apply the hinge theorem in (c). The two triangles have congruent pairs of sides, 6 and 9 in each, and different included angles of \( 50^\circ \) and \( 80^\circ \). By the hinge theorem, the triangle with the larger included angle has the longer third side. So the third side of the \( 80^\circ \) triangle is longer.

Step eight: verify (c) numerically and answer (d). By the law of cosines, the third side satisfies \( c^2 = 36 + 81 - 108\cos\theta = 117 - 108\cos\theta \). At \( \theta = 50^\circ \): \( \cos 50^\circ \approx 0.643 \), so \( c^2 \approx 117 - 69.4 = 47.6 \) and \( c \approx 6.90 \). At \( \theta = 80^\circ \): \( \cos 80^\circ \approx 0.174 \), so \( c^2 \approx 117 - 18.8 = 98.2 \) and \( c \approx 9.91 \). The \( 80^\circ \) triangle has the longer third side, as predicted. Answering (d): the triangle inequality holds because a segment is the shortest path between two points, proved in lesson 3.7. Going from \( A \) to \( C \) directly along \( \overline{AC} \) cannot be longer than detouring through \( B \), so \( AC \leq AB + BC \), with equality only if \( B \) lies on \( \overline{AC} \) and the figure is degenerate. For a genuine triangle the inequality is strict.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Can 3, 4, 5 form a triangle?
    Show the full solution

    \( 3 + 4 = 7 \gt 5 \). Yes

  2. Can 2, 3, 6 form a triangle?
    Show the full solution

    \( 2 + 3 = 5 \lt 6 \). No

  3. Can 5, 5, 10 form a triangle?
    Show the full solution

    \( 5 + 5 = 10 \), not greater. Degenerate. No

  4. Given sides 6 and 10, what is the upper bound on the third?
    Show the full solution

    Less than 16

  5. Given sides 6 and 10, what is the lower bound?
    Show the full solution

    \( |10 - 6| \). Greater than 4

  6. Two triangles have sides 8 and 12 with included angles \( 40^\circ \) and \( 95^\circ \). Which has the longer third side?
    Show the full solution

    By the hinge theorem, with two pairs of congruent sides, the larger included angle gives the longer third side. Since \( 95^\circ \gt 40^\circ \), the \( 95^\circ \) triangle has the longer third side. Verifying with the law of cosines: \( c^2 = 64 + 144 - 192\cos\theta \). At \( 40^\circ \): \( c^2 \approx 208 - 147.1 = 60.9 \), so \( c \approx 7.80 \). At \( 95^\circ \): \( c^2 \approx 208 + 16.7 = 224.7 \), so \( c \approx 14.99 \). Confirmed, and the difference is large. The one with the \( 95^\circ \) angle

  7. A triangle has sides 9 and \( x \) with the third side 14. Find the range of \( x \).
    Show the full solution

    All three inequalities must hold. \( 9 + x \gt 14 \) gives \( x \gt 5 \). \( 9 + 14 \gt x \) gives \( x \lt 23 \). \( x + 14 \gt 9 \) gives \( x \gt -5 \), automatic. So \( 5 \lt x \lt 23 \). Checking against the shortcut: the two known sides are 9 and 14, so the range is \( |14 - 9| \lt x \lt 14 + 9 \), that is \( 5 \lt x \lt 23 \). Agrees. \( 5 \lt x \lt 23 \)

  8. Two triangles have two pairs of congruent sides, with third sides of 11 and 15. Compare the included angles.
    Show the full solution

    This is the converse of the hinge theorem: the third sides are known and the angles are wanted. The larger third side belongs to the triangle with the larger included angle, so the triangle with third side 15 has the larger included angle. The reasoning mirrors the hinge theorem's door picture: opening the hinge wider increases the distance across, so a greater distance across means the hinge was opened wider. The triangle with third side 15 has the larger included angle

  9. Explain why the triangle inequality follows from the fact that a segment is the shortest path.
    Show the full solution

    Take three points \( A \), \( B \), \( C \) forming a triangle. Consider two routes from \( A \) to \( C \): directly along \( \overline{AC} \), or via \( B \) along \( \overline{AB} \) and then \( \overline{BC} \). The direct route has length \( AC \). The detour has length \( AB + BC \). Since a segment is the shortest path between two points, the direct route cannot be longer than any other route, so \( AC \leq AB + BC \). Equality would require the detour to be no longer than the direct path, which happens only if \( B \) lies on \( \overline{AC} \). In that case the three points are collinear and there is no triangle. For a genuine triangle \( B \) is off the line, so the inequality is strict: \( AC \lt AB + BC \). The same argument applied to the other two vertices gives the other two inequalities, and together they are the triangle inequality. The direct path from \( A \) to \( C \) cannot exceed the detour through \( B \), and it is strictly shorter unless the points are collinear

  10. A triangle has sides \( x \), \( x + 3 \) and \( 2x - 1 \). Find all values of \( x \) for which this is a valid triangle.
    Show the full solution

    First, all sides must be positive. \( x \gt 0 \); \( x + 3 \gt 0 \) is automatic; \( 2x - 1 \gt 0 \) gives \( x \gt 0.5 \). So far \( x \gt 0.5 \). Now the three triangle inequalities. \( x + (x + 3) \gt 2x - 1 \): this gives \( 2x + 3 \gt 2x - 1 \), so \( 3 \gt -1 \), which is always true and imposes no constraint. \( x + (2x - 1) \gt x + 3 \): this gives \( 3x - 1 \gt x + 3 \), so \( 2x \gt 4 \) and \( x \gt 2 \). \( (x + 3) + (2x - 1) \gt x \): this gives \( 3x + 2 \gt x \), so \( 2x \gt -2 \) and \( x \gt -1 \), automatic. Combine. The binding constraint is \( x \gt 2 \), which also implies \( x \gt 0.5 \). Check a value inside the range. At \( x = 3 \) the sides are 3, 6 and 5. Checking: \( 3 + 5 = 8 \gt 6 \). Valid. Check a value outside. At \( x = 2 \) the sides are 2, 5 and 3, and \( 2 + 3 = 5 \), exactly equal to the third side. Degenerate, which is why the inequality is strict and \( x = 2 \) is excluded. At \( x = 1.5 \) the sides are 1.5, 4.5 and 2, and \( 1.5 + 2 = 3.5 \lt 4.5 \). Invalid, as predicted. \( x \gt 2 \)

Unit 6 mixed review · 10 problems · all topics

Unit 6: Relationships Within Triangles

The four centers are easy to confuse. Each one is defined by which segments meet there, and each has its own equidistance property.

  1. Which center is equidistant from the three vertices?
    Show the full solution

    The circumcenter

  2. Which is equidistant from the three sides?
    Show the full solution

    The incenter

  3. In what ratio does the centroid divide each median?
    Show the full solution

    Measured from the vertex. \( 2 : 1 \)

  4. A midsegment measures 9. Find the side it is parallel to.
    Show the full solution

    18

  5. Can 3, 4 and 8 be the sides of a triangle?
    Show the full solution

    \( 3 + 4 = 7 \), which is not greater than 8. No

  6. Two sides of a triangle are 7 and 12. Find the range of possible third sides.
    Show the full solution

    The third side must be less than the sum and greater than the difference: \( 12 - 7 \lt x \lt 12 + 7 \), so \( 5 \lt x \lt 19 \). Check an endpoint: at \( x = 5 \) the sides 5, 7, 12 give \( 5 + 7 = 12 \), a degenerate flat figure rather than a triangle. Correctly excluded. \( 5 \lt x \lt 19 \)

  7. A median measures 24. Find the distance from the vertex to the centroid and from the centroid to the midpoint.
    Show the full solution

    The centroid divides the median in a \( 2 : 1 \) ratio from the vertex, so the median splits into 2 parts and 1 part, three parts in all. One part: \( \dfrac{24}{3} = 8 \). Vertex to centroid: \( 2 \times 8 = 16 \). Centroid to midpoint: 8. Check: \( 16 + 8 = 24 \), and \( \dfrac{16}{8} = 2 \). Correct. 16 and 8

  8. A triangle has angles \( 50^\circ \), \( 60^\circ \) and \( 70^\circ \). Order its sides from shortest to longest.
    Show the full solution

    The longer side is opposite the larger angle, by the theorem of lesson 6.6. So the shortest side is opposite the \( 50^\circ \) angle, then the one opposite \( 60^\circ \), then the one opposite \( 70^\circ \). Check the angle sum: \( 50 + 60 + 70 = 180 \). Valid. The sides opposite \( 50^\circ \), \( 60^\circ \) and \( 70^\circ \), in that order

  9. Explain why the orthocenter lies outside an obtuse triangle.
    Show the full solution

    The orthocenter is where the three altitudes meet, and an altitude runs from a vertex perpendicular to the line containing the opposite side. In an obtuse triangle, consider the two shorter sides adjacent to the obtuse angle. The altitude from either endpoint of such a side must be perpendicular to the opposite side's line, and because the obtuse angle opens the triangle so widely, the foot of that perpendicular falls outside the segment, on its extension. Two of the three altitudes therefore lie mostly outside the triangle, and the point where all three lines meet falls outside as well, on the far side of the obtuse vertex. The three cases. In an acute triangle every foot falls inside a side, so the orthocenter is interior. In a right triangle two altitudes are the legs themselves, and they meet at the right-angle vertex, so the orthocenter is on the triangle. In an obtuse triangle it is exterior. A useful comparison. The circumcenter behaves the same way, inside for acute, on the hypotenuse's midpoint for right, outside for obtuse. The incenter and centroid, by contrast, are always interior, because they are defined by segments that genuinely run through the triangle's interior. Two altitudes have feet on the extensions of sides rather than on the sides themselves, so their intersection falls outside

  10. Find the circumcenter and circumradius of the triangle with vertices \( (0, 0) \), \( (8, 0) \) and \( (0, 6) \).
    Show the full solution

    Recognize the triangle. Two sides lie along the axes, so the angle at \( (0, 0) \) is right. The legs are 8 and 6 and the hypotenuse runs from \( (8, 0) \) to \( (0, 6) \), of length \( \sqrt{64 + 36} = \sqrt{100} = 10 \). This is a 6-8-10 triangle. Find the circumcenter by perpendicular bisectors. The perpendicular bisector of the horizontal side from \( (0,0) \) to \( (8,0) \) is the vertical line \( x = 4 \). The perpendicular bisector of the vertical side from \( (0,0) \) to \( (0,6) \) is the horizontal line \( y = 3 \). They meet at \( (4, 3) \). Verify equidistance from all three vertices. To \( (0,0) \): \( \sqrt{16 + 9} = 5 \). To \( (8,0) \): \( \sqrt{16 + 9} = 5 \). To \( (0,6) \): \( \sqrt{16 + 9} = 5 \). All equal, so \( (4,3) \) is the circumcenter and the circumradius is 5. Check against the right-triangle shortcut. In a right triangle the circumcenter is the midpoint of the hypotenuse. The hypotenuse joins \( (8,0) \) and \( (0,6) \), whose midpoint is \( (4, 3) \). Agrees. Why that shortcut holds. An angle inscribed in a semicircle is right, by lesson 10.4, so conversely a right angle inscribed in a circle must subtend a diameter. The hypotenuse is therefore a diameter of the circumscribed circle, making its midpoint the center and half its length the radius. Here \( \dfrac{10}{2} = 5 \), matching. The position of the center. The circumcenter \( (4,3) \) lies on the triangle's hypotenuse rather than strictly inside it, which is the right-triangle case noted in lesson 6.1. Circumcenter \( (4, 3) \), circumradius 5

Lesson 7.1 · Unit 7 · G-CO.11

Two formulas, one derived and one surprisingly constant

The interior angles of a polygon sum to a value depending on the number of sides, and the exterior angles sum to the same number for every convex polygon regardless of how many sides it has. The first formula is worth deriving rather than memorizing; the second is worth believing because it is so easy to misremember.

The method
  1. The interior angle sum of a convex \( n \)-gon is \( (n - 2) \cdot 180^\circ \).
  2. The derivation: draw all diagonals from one vertex, cutting the polygon into \( n - 2 \) triangles, each contributing \( 180^\circ \).
  3. Each interior angle of a regular \( n \)-gon measures \( \dfrac{(n-2) \cdot 180^\circ}{n} \), since all \( n \) are equal.
  4. The exterior angle sum is \( 360^\circ \) for every convex polygon, whatever \( n \) is.
  5. Each exterior angle of a regular \( n \)-gon measures \( \dfrac{360^\circ}{n} \).
  6. An interior angle and its exterior angle form a linear pair, so they sum to \( 180^\circ \), which links the two formulas.
  7. To find \( n \) from an angle, set the formula equal to it and solve, using the exterior angle version when possible since it is simpler.
  8. Check that \( n \) comes out a whole number at least 3. A fractional answer means the given angle is impossible for a regular polygon.

Where students lose marks: forgetting the \( n - 2 \). A hexagon has 6 sides and its angles sum to \( 4 \times 180 = 720^\circ \), not \( 6 \times 180 \). The check: a triangle must give \( 180^\circ \), and \( (3 - 2) \times 180 = 180 \). Correct.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Derive the interior angle sum formula. (b) Find the interior angle sum of an octagon and the measure of one interior angle of a regular octagon. (c) Find each exterior angle of a regular octagon and check consistency. (d) A regular polygon has interior angles of \( 150^\circ \). Find \( n \).

Step one: set up the derivation in (a). Take a convex polygon with \( n \) sides and choose one vertex. Draw every diagonal from that vertex to the non-adjacent vertices.

Step two: count the triangles. The chosen vertex connects to \( n - 3 \) others by diagonals, since it cannot connect to itself or its two neighbors. Those \( n - 3 \) diagonals cut the polygon into \( n - 2 \) triangles. Check on a quadrilateral: \( n = 4 \) gives one diagonal and two triangles. On a pentagon: two diagonals and three triangles. Both correct.

Step three: total the angles. Every angle of every triangle is part of some interior angle of the polygon, and every interior angle of the polygon is fully accounted for. So the polygon's interior angle sum is the total of the triangles' angle sums: \[ (n - 2) \cdot 180^\circ \]

Step four: answer (b). An octagon has \( n = 8 \), so the sum is \( (8 - 2) \cdot 180 = 6 \times 180 = 1080^\circ \). A regular octagon has eight equal interior angles, so each measures \( \dfrac{1080}{8} = 135^\circ \).

Step five: answer (c). The exterior angle sum is \( 360^\circ \) for any convex polygon, so each exterior angle of a regular octagon measures \( \dfrac{360}{8} = 45^\circ \).

Step six: check the two against each other. An interior angle and its exterior angle form a linear pair, so they must sum to \( 180^\circ \). \( 135 + 45 = 180 \). Correct. That relationship is the fastest check available on any answer in this lesson, and it works for every regular polygon.

Step seven: answer (d) the hard way and the easy way. Hard way: \( \dfrac{(n-2) \cdot 180}{n} = 150 \), so \( 180n - 360 = 150n \), giving \( 30n = 360 \) and \( n = 12 \). Easy way: if the interior angle is \( 150^\circ \), the exterior angle is \( 180 - 150 = 30^\circ \). Since the exterior angles sum to \( 360^\circ \), there are \( \dfrac{360}{30} = 12 \) of them, so \( n = 12 \). The second route avoids the fractions entirely, which is why it is worth knowing.

Step eight: verify and sanity check. For \( n = 12 \), the interior sum is \( (12 - 2) \cdot 180 = 1800^\circ \), and each of the twelve angles measures \( \dfrac{1800}{12} = 150^\circ \). Correct. A last check: \( n = 12 \) is a whole number at least 3, so a regular dodecagon exists. Had the given angle been \( 145^\circ \), the exterior angle would be \( 35^\circ \) and \( \dfrac{360}{35} \) is not a whole number, so no regular polygon has interior angles of \( 145^\circ \).

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Find the interior angle sum of a pentagon.
    Show the full solution

    \( (5-2) \times 180 \). \( 540^\circ \)

  2. Find the interior angle sum of a decagon.
    Show the full solution

    \( (10-2) \times 180 \). \( 1440^\circ \)

  3. What is the exterior angle sum of any convex polygon?
    Show the full solution

    \( 360^\circ \)

  4. Find each interior angle of a regular hexagon.
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{(6-2)180}{6} = \dfrac{720}{6} \). \( 120^\circ \)

  5. Find each exterior angle of a regular hexagon.
    Show the full solution

    \( 360 \div 6 \). Check: \( 120 + 60 = 180 \). \( 60^\circ \)

  6. A regular polygon has exterior angles of \( 24^\circ \). Find \( n \) and each interior angle.
    Show the full solution

    The exterior angles sum to \( 360^\circ \), so \( n = \dfrac{360}{24} = 15 \). Each interior angle is the supplement: \( 180 - 24 = 156^\circ \). Check with the interior formula: \( \dfrac{(15-2)180}{15} = \dfrac{2340}{15} = 156 \). Agrees. \( n = 15 \), interior angles \( 156^\circ \)

  7. A polygon's interior angles sum to \( 2340^\circ \). How many sides?
    Show the full solution

    \( (n - 2) \cdot 180 = 2340 \), so \( n - 2 = \dfrac{2340}{180} = 13 \) and \( n = 15 \). Check: \( (15 - 2) \times 180 = 2340 \). Correct. Note this is the same polygon as the previous problem, reached from a different given. 15 sides

  8. Four angles of a pentagon measure \( 100^\circ \), \( 110^\circ \), \( 120^\circ \) and \( 95^\circ \). Find the fifth.
    Show the full solution

    The interior angles of a pentagon sum to \( (5 - 2) \times 180 = 540^\circ \). The four given sum to \( 100 + 110 + 120 + 95 = 425 \). The fifth measures \( 540 - 425 = 115^\circ \). Check: all five are less than \( 180^\circ \), so the pentagon is convex and the formula applies as used. \( 115^\circ \)

  9. Explain why the exterior angle sum is \( 360^\circ \) regardless of the number of sides.
    Show the full solution

    Imagine walking once around the outside of the polygon, following each side and turning at each vertex before continuing along the next side. The amount you turn at a vertex is exactly the exterior angle there, since the exterior angle measures how far the direction of travel changes. By the time you return to the start facing the original direction, you have turned through one complete revolution, which is \( 360^\circ \). So the exterior angles sum to \( 360^\circ \). Nothing in that argument mentioned the number of sides. A triangle turns through three large angles; a hundred-gon turns through a hundred tiny ones; either way the total is one full turn. Algebraic confirmation: each interior and exterior pair sums to \( 180^\circ \), so all \( n \) pairs sum to \( 180n \). Subtracting the interior total: \( 180n - (n-2)180 = 180n - 180n + 360 = 360 \). The \( n \) terms cancel, which is precisely why the answer does not depend on \( n \). Walking around the polygon turns through exactly one full revolution, and the algebra shows the \( n \) terms cancel

  10. The interior angles of a hexagon are in the ratio 3 : 4 : 5 : 5 : 6 : 7. Find each, and check whether the hexagon is convex.
    Show the full solution

    Set up. Let the angles be \( 3x \), \( 4x \), \( 5x \), \( 5x \), \( 6x \) and \( 7x \). A hexagon's interior angles sum to \( (6 - 2) \times 180 = 720^\circ \). Solve. \( 3x + 4x + 5x + 5x + 6x + 7x = 720 \), so \( 30x = 720 \) and \( x = 24 \). The angles. \( 3(24) = 72^\circ \); \( 4(24) = 96^\circ \); \( 5(24) = 120^\circ \); \( 5(24) = 120^\circ \); \( 6(24) = 144^\circ \); \( 7(24) = 168^\circ \). Check the sum. \( 72 + 96 + 120 + 120 + 144 + 168 = 720 \). Correct. Check convexity. A polygon is convex when every interior angle is less than \( 180^\circ \). The largest here is \( 168^\circ \), so all six qualify and the hexagon is convex. That matters because the formula \( (n-2) \cdot 180 \) was stated for convex polygons. Had an angle come out above \( 180^\circ \), the answer would still be arithmetically consistent but the figure would be concave, and the exterior angle sum of \( 360^\circ \) would no longer apply in the same way. \( 72^\circ, 96^\circ, 120^\circ, 120^\circ, 144^\circ, 168^\circ \); convex, since all are under \( 180^\circ \)

Lesson 7.2 · Unit 7 · G-CO.11

Four properties, all proved from one definition

A parallelogram is defined by one thing only: both pairs of opposite sides parallel. Everything else about it is a theorem, and every one of those theorems is proved the same way, by drawing a diagonal and using the congruent triangles that result.

The method
  1. A parallelogram is a quadrilateral with both pairs of opposite sides parallel. That is the definition and the only thing assumed.
  2. Opposite sides are congruent. A theorem, not part of the definition.
  3. Opposite angles are congruent.
  4. Consecutive angles are supplementary, which follows from the same-side interior angles theorem.
  5. The diagonals bisect each other.
  6. Each diagonal splits it into two congruent triangles, which is the tool every one of these proofs uses.
  7. Draw a diagonal as the first step of any parallelogram proof, since it converts a quadrilateral problem into a triangle problem.
  8. Cite the property by name once proved, rather than rebuilding the triangle argument each time.

Where students lose marks: assuming the diagonals are congruent. They bisect each other, which is different. Congruent diagonals is a property of rectangles, and a non-rectangular parallelogram has diagonals of clearly different lengths.

Worked example

The problem. In parallelogram \( ABCD \): (a) Prove opposite sides are congruent. (b) Prove consecutive angles are supplementary. (c) Prove the diagonals bisect each other. (d) If \( m\angle A = 65^\circ \), find all four angles.

Step one: set up (a) and draw the diagonal. Given: \( ABCD \) is a parallelogram, so \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DC} \) and \( \overline{AD} \parallel \overline{BC} \). Prove: \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{DC} \) and \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{BC} \). Draw the diagonal \( \overline{AC} \), creating \( \triangle ABC \) and \( \triangle CDA \).

Step two: get two angle pairs from the two parallel pairs. 1. \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DC} \) and \( \overline{AD} \parallel \overline{BC} \). Reason: definition of a parallelogram. 2. \( \angle BAC \cong \angle DCA \). Reason: alternate interior angles theorem, with \( \overline{AC} \) as transversal of the first parallel pair. 3. \( \angle BCA \cong \angle DAC \). Reason: alternate interior angles theorem, with \( \overline{AC} \) as transversal of the second pair.

Step three: finish (a). 4. \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{AC} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 5. \( \triangle BAC \cong \triangle DCA \). Reason: ASA, with \( \overline{AC} \) included between the two pairs of congruent angles. 6. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \) and \( \overline{BC} \cong \overline{DA} \). Reason: CPCTC.

Step four: prove (b), which needs no triangles. 1. \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DC} \). Reason: definition of a parallelogram. 2. \( \angle A \) and \( \angle D \) are same-side interior angles with respect to transversal \( \overline{AD} \). Reason: definition of same-side interior angles. 3. \( \angle A \) and \( \angle D \) are supplementary. Reason: same-side interior angles theorem. The same argument applies to every pair of consecutive angles, using the appropriate side as the transversal.

Step five: set up (c). Prove: the diagonals \( \overline{AC} \) and \( \overline{BD} \), meeting at \( E \), bisect each other, which means \( \overline{AE} \cong \overline{EC} \) and \( \overline{BE} \cong \overline{ED} \).

Step six: prove (c). 1. \( ABCD \) is a parallelogram. Reason: given. 2. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{DC} \). Reason: opposite sides of a parallelogram are congruent, proved in part (a). 3. \( \angle BAE \cong \angle DCE \). Reason: alternate interior angles theorem, with \( \overline{AC} \) as transversal. 4. \( \angle ABE \cong \angle CDE \). Reason: alternate interior angles theorem, with \( \overline{BD} \) as transversal. 5. \( \triangle ABE \cong \triangle CDE \). Reason: ASA. 6. \( \overline{AE} \cong \overline{CE} \) and \( \overline{BE} \cong \overline{DE} \). Reason: CPCTC. 7. The diagonals bisect each other. Reason: definition of a segment bisector, since each diagonal passes through the midpoint of the other.

Step seven: answer (d). Opposite angles are congruent, so \( m\angle C = m\angle A = 65^\circ \). Consecutive angles are supplementary, so \( m\angle B = 180 - 65 = 115^\circ \), and \( m\angle D = 115^\circ \) as the angle opposite \( \angle B \).

Step eight: check against the angle sum. A quadrilateral's interior angles sum to \( (4 - 2) \times 180 = 360^\circ \). \( 65 + 115 + 65 + 115 = 360 \). Correct. A second check: two angles are acute and two obtuse, which is what a non-rectangular parallelogram always shows. If all four had come out equal, the figure would be a rectangle.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is the definition of a parallelogram?
    Show the full solution

    A quadrilateral with both pairs of opposite sides parallel

  2. In parallelogram \( ABCD \), \( m\angle A = 72^\circ \). Find \( m\angle C \).
    Show the full solution

    Opposite angles are congruent. \( 72^\circ \)

  3. Find \( m\angle B \) in that parallelogram.
    Show the full solution

    Consecutive angles are supplementary. \( 108^\circ \)

  4. In parallelogram \( ABCD \), \( AB = 9 \). Find \( CD \).
    Show the full solution

    9

  5. Are the diagonals of a parallelogram congruent?
    Show the full solution

    They bisect each other, which is different. Not in general

  6. In parallelogram \( ABCD \), the diagonals meet at \( E \) with \( AE = 3x - 1 \) and \( EC = x + 7 \). Find \( AC \).
    Show the full solution

    The diagonals bisect each other, so \( AE = EC \): \( 3x - 1 = x + 7 \), giving \( 2x = 8 \) and \( x = 4 \). Then \( AE = 3(4) - 1 = 11 \) and \( EC = 4 + 7 = 11 \). Equal, as required. \( AC = AE + EC = 11 + 11 = 22 \). The question asked for the whole diagonal, not the half, which is the step most often skipped. \( AC = 22 \)

  7. In parallelogram \( PQRS \), \( m\angle P = (2x + 10)^\circ \) and \( m\angle Q = (3x - 5)^\circ \). Find all four angles.
    Show the full solution

    \( \angle P \) and \( \angle Q \) are consecutive, so they are supplementary: \( (2x + 10) + (3x - 5) = 180 \), giving \( 5x + 5 = 180 \), so \( 5x = 175 \) and \( x = 35 \). \( m\angle P = 2(35) + 10 = 80^\circ \) and \( m\angle Q = 3(35) - 5 = 100^\circ \). Check: \( 80 + 100 = 180 \). Correct. Opposite angles: \( m\angle R = m\angle P = 80^\circ \) and \( m\angle S = m\angle Q = 100^\circ \). Total: \( 80 + 100 + 80 + 100 = 360 \). Correct. \( 80^\circ \), \( 100^\circ \), \( 80^\circ \), \( 100^\circ \)

  8. Prove that opposite angles of a parallelogram are congruent.
    Show the full solution

    Given: parallelogram \( ABCD \). Prove: \( \angle A \cong \angle C \). Route one, by triangles. 1. \( ABCD \) is a parallelogram. Reason: given. 2. Draw \( \overline{BD} \). Reason: two points determine a segment. 3. \( \angle ABD \cong \angle CDB \) and \( \angle ADB \cong \angle CBD \). Reason: alternate interior angles theorem, applied to each pair of parallel sides. 4. \( \overline{BD} \cong \overline{BD} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 5. \( \triangle ABD \cong \triangle CDB \). Reason: ASA. 6. \( \angle A \cong \angle C \). Reason: CPCTC. Route two, by supplements. \( \angle A \) and \( \angle B \) are supplementary, and \( \angle B \) and \( \angle C \) are supplementary, both as consecutive angles. Two angles supplementary to the same angle are congruent by the congruent supplements theorem of lesson 2.6, so \( \angle A \cong \angle C \). The second route is shorter and uses the consecutive angle property already proved. Proved, by ASA and CPCTC or by congruent supplements

  9. Explain why every parallelogram property is a theorem rather than part of the definition.
    Show the full solution

    A definition should say the least that identifies the object. Once "both pairs of opposite sides parallel" is stated, the figure is completely determined as a type, and everything else about it follows. Including the other properties in the definition would be redundant and, worse, would hide the logical structure. A reader would not know which facts are independent and which follow, and a proof could not be checked for circularity. There is also a practical benefit. Because the properties are theorems, each can be cited by name in later proofs without rebuilding the triangle argument. Proving "opposite sides are congruent" once means every subsequent proof gets it in one line. The same principle governs the rest of the unit. A rectangle is defined as a parallelogram with one additional condition, and its diagonal property is then a theorem proved from that. A definition names; theorems describe. A definition should state the minimum that identifies the figure; everything derivable becomes a theorem, which keeps the logical structure visible and lets each result be cited by name

  10. In parallelogram \( ABCD \), \( AB = 2x + 5 \), \( BC = 3y - 4 \), \( CD = 17 \), \( AD = 11 \). Find \( x \), \( y \) and the perimeter.
    Show the full solution

    Opposite sides of a parallelogram are congruent, so pair them correctly: \( \overline{AB} \) is opposite \( \overline{CD} \), and \( \overline{BC} \) is opposite \( \overline{AD} \). Find \( x \). \( AB = CD \) gives \( 2x + 5 = 17 \), so \( 2x = 12 \) and \( x = 6 \). Then \( AB = 17 \). Find \( y \). \( BC = AD \) gives \( 3y - 4 = 11 \), so \( 3y = 15 \) and \( y = 5 \). Then \( BC = 11 \). Perimeter. The four sides are 17, 11, 17 and 11, so the perimeter is \( 2(17) + 2(11) = 34 + 22 = 56 \). Checks. Both computed values are positive, as lengths must be. The perimeter formula \( 2(a + b) \) for a parallelogram gives \( 2(17 + 11) = 56 \), agreeing. The trap here is pairing \( \overline{AB} \) with \( \overline{AD} \), which are adjacent rather than opposite and need not be congruent. Reading the vertex letters rather than the order of presentation is what prevents it. \( x = 6 \), \( y = 5 \), perimeter 56

Lesson 7.3 · Unit 7 · G-CO.11

Five conditions, each sufficient on its own

Lesson 7.2 took a parallelogram and derived facts. This lesson runs the other way: given some facts, decide whether the figure must be a parallelogram. Five conditions each suffice, and the distinction between a property and a test is what this lesson is about.

The method
  1. Test one, the definition: both pairs of opposite sides parallel.
  2. Test two: both pairs of opposite sides congruent.
  3. Test three: both pairs of opposite angles congruent.
  4. Test four: the diagonals bisect each other.
  5. Test five: one pair of opposite sides both parallel and congruent.
  6. A property runs from parallelogram to fact; a test runs from fact to parallelogram. They are converses and each direction needs its own proof.
  7. One pair of parallel sides alone is not enough, since that describes a trapezoid.
  8. One pair of congruent sides alone is not enough either, which is why test five requires both conditions on the same pair.

Where students lose marks: concluding a parallelogram from one pair of parallel sides plus a different pair of congruent sides. That combination describes an isosceles trapezoid as well, so it is not a valid test. Test five requires both conditions on the same pair.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Prove test five: if one pair of opposite sides is both parallel and congruent, the quadrilateral is a parallelogram. (b) Show by counterexample that one pair parallel and a different pair congruent is not enough. (c) Decide whether each is a parallelogram: a quadrilateral whose diagonals bisect each other; a quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides; a quadrilateral with all four angles congruent.

Step one: set up (a). Given: quadrilateral \( ABCD \) with \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DC} \) and \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{DC} \). Prove: \( ABCD \) is a parallelogram. The goal is to establish the second pair of parallel sides, since the definition requires both.

Step two: draw the diagonal and get an angle pair. 1. \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DC} \); \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{DC} \). Reason: given. 2. Draw \( \overline{AC} \). Reason: two points determine a segment. 3. \( \angle BAC \cong \angle DCA \). Reason: alternate interior angles theorem, using the given parallel pair.

Step three: prove the triangles congruent. 4. \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{AC} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 5. \( \triangle BAC \cong \triangle DCA \). Reason: SAS, with the congruent angles included between \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{AC} \) in one triangle and \( \overline{CD} \) and \( \overline{CA} \) in the other.

Step four: finish (a). 6. \( \angle BCA \cong \angle DAC \). Reason: CPCTC. 7. \( \overline{BC} \parallel \overline{AD} \). Reason: converse of the alternate interior angles theorem. 8. \( ABCD \) is a parallelogram. Reason: definition of a parallelogram, since both pairs of opposite sides are now parallel. Note the two directions again: line 3 used the theorem and line 7 used its converse. Test five is genuinely a converse result and its proof reflects that.

Step five: construct the counterexample for (b). Take an isosceles trapezoid with vertices \( A(0,0) \), \( B(6,0) \), \( C(5,3) \), \( D(1,3) \). Check the parallel pair: \( \overline{AB} \) runs from \( (0,0) \) to \( (6,0) \), slope 0. \( \overline{DC} \) runs from \( (1,3) \) to \( (5,3) \), slope 0. Parallel.

Step six: check the congruent pair and confirm it is not a parallelogram. \( \overline{AD} \): from \( (0,0) \) to \( (1,3) \), length \( \sqrt{1 + 9} = \sqrt{10} \). \( \overline{BC} \): from \( (6,0) \) to \( (5,3) \), length \( \sqrt{1 + 9} = \sqrt{10} \). Congruent. So one pair is parallel and the other pair is congruent, satisfying the proposed test. But \( \overline{AB} = 6 \) and \( \overline{DC} = 4 \), which are not congruent, so opposite sides are not congruent and the figure is not a parallelogram. It is an isosceles trapezoid. The proposed test is therefore invalid.

Step seven: answer the first two parts of (c). Diagonals bisecting each other: yes, that is test four, which is sufficient. One pair of parallel sides: no. That is the definition of a trapezoid, and the isosceles trapezoid just constructed is a counterexample.

Step eight: answer the third part of (c) carefully. All four angles congruent means each measures \( \dfrac{360}{4} = 90^\circ \), so the figure is a rectangle. In particular both pairs of opposite angles are congruent, which is test three, so it is a parallelogram. This is worth noticing: the answer is yes, but for a reason stronger than needed. All four angles congruent gives a rectangle, which is a special parallelogram. Test three only required the two opposite pairs to be congruent, not all four to be equal to each other.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Name the five tests for a parallelogram.
    Show the full solution

    Both pairs of sides parallel; both pairs congruent; both pairs of angles congruent; diagonals bisect each other; one pair both parallel and congruent

  2. A quadrilateral has diagonals that bisect each other. Is it a parallelogram?
    Show the full solution

    Yes

  3. A quadrilateral has one pair of parallel sides. Is it a parallelogram?
    Show the full solution

    That is a trapezoid. Not necessarily

  4. A quadrilateral has both pairs of opposite sides congruent. Is it a parallelogram?
    Show the full solution

    Yes

  5. What is the difference between a property and a test?
    Show the full solution

    A property follows from being a parallelogram; a test proves something is one

  6. A quadrilateral has \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DC} \) and \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{DC} \). Which test applies?
    Show the full solution

    Both conditions are on the same pair of opposite sides. Test five

  7. In quadrilateral \( ABCD \), \( m\angle A = 110^\circ \), \( m\angle B = 70^\circ \), \( m\angle C = 110^\circ \). Find \( m\angle D \) and decide whether it is a parallelogram.
    Show the full solution

    The angles of a quadrilateral sum to \( 360^\circ \), so \( m\angle D = 360 - 110 - 70 - 110 = 70^\circ \). Now check the opposite pairs: \( \angle A \) and \( \angle C \) are both \( 110^\circ \), congruent; \( \angle B \) and \( \angle D \) are both \( 70^\circ \), congruent. Both pairs of opposite angles are congruent, which is test three. \( m\angle D = 70^\circ \), and yes, it is a parallelogram

  8. Prove test four: if the diagonals of a quadrilateral bisect each other, it is a parallelogram.
    Show the full solution

    Given: quadrilateral \( ABCD \) with diagonals meeting at \( E \), and \( \overline{AE} \cong \overline{EC} \), \( \overline{BE} \cong \overline{ED} \). Prove: \( ABCD \) is a parallelogram. 1. \( \overline{AE} \cong \overline{EC} \); \( \overline{BE} \cong \overline{ED} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle AEB \cong \angle CED \). Reason: vertical angles theorem. 3. \( \triangle AEB \cong \triangle CED \). Reason: SAS. 4. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \). Reason: CPCTC. 5. \( \angle BAE \cong \angle DCE \). Reason: CPCTC. 6. \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DC} \). Reason: converse of the alternate interior angles theorem, using \( \overline{AC} \) as transversal. 7. \( ABCD \) is a parallelogram. Reason: test five, since \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{DC} \) are both parallel and congruent. An alternative ending repeats the argument on \( \triangle AED \) and \( \triangle CEB \) to get the second pair of sides congruent and then cites test two. Either is valid. Proved by SAS, CPCTC and test five

  9. Give a counterexample showing that one pair of congruent sides alone does not make a parallelogram.
    Show the full solution

    Take the quadrilateral with vertices \( A(0,0) \), \( B(6,0) \), \( C(7,3) \), \( D(1,4) \). Check the side lengths: \( AB = 6 \); \( BC = \sqrt{1 + 9} = \sqrt{10} \); \( CD = \sqrt{36 + 1} = \sqrt{37} \); \( DA = \sqrt{1 + 16} = \sqrt{17} \). None are congruent, so amend the example: take \( A(0,0) \), \( B(6,0) \), \( C(8,3) \), \( D(2,5) \). \( AB = 6 \); \( CD = \sqrt{36 + 4} = \sqrt{40} \); \( BC = \sqrt{4 + 9} = \sqrt{13} \); \( DA = \sqrt{4 + 25} = \sqrt{29} \). Still none congruent. A cleaner construction: a kite. Take \( A(0,0) \), \( B(3,4) \), \( C(6,0) \), \( D(3,-2) \). \( AB = \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \) and \( BC = \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \), so those two adjacent sides are congruent. \( AD = \sqrt{9 + 4} = \sqrt{13} \) and \( CD = \sqrt{9 + 4} = \sqrt{13} \), also congruent. This figure has two pairs of congruent sides, but they are adjacent pairs rather than opposite pairs. Its opposite sides are \( AB = 5 \) against \( CD = \sqrt{13} \), not congruent, so it is not a parallelogram. It is a kite. The lesson: congruent sides must be opposite pairs for test two to apply, and a figure can have plenty of congruent sides arranged the wrong way. A kite, such as \( (0,0) \), \( (3,4) \), \( (6,0) \), \( (3,-2) \), has two pairs of congruent adjacent sides and is not a parallelogram

  10. In quadrilateral \( ABCD \), \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \) and \( \overline{AD} \parallel \overline{BC} \). Determine whether it must be a parallelogram, and give a complete argument.
    Show the full solution

    The given facts are a congruent pair and a parallel pair, but on different pairs of opposite sides. This is exactly the configuration the worked example showed to be insufficient. The counterexample. Take the isosceles trapezoid with \( A(0,0) \), \( B(6,0) \), \( C(5,3) \), \( D(1,3) \), relabeled so the conditions match. Here \( \overline{AD} \) from \( (0,0) \) to \( (1,3) \) has length \( \sqrt{10} \), and \( \overline{BC} \) from \( (6,0) \) to \( (5,3) \) has length \( \sqrt{10} \), so those are congruent, while \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{DC} \) are parallel, both horizontal. Renaming to match the problem's labels: the figure has one pair of opposite sides congruent and the other pair parallel, and it is not a parallelogram, since \( AB = 6 \) and \( DC = 4 \) differ. So the answer is no, it need not be a parallelogram. What it could be. Either a parallelogram or an isosceles trapezoid. Those are the only two possibilities: the parallel pair makes it at least a trapezoid, and the congruent legs make it isosceles unless the legs are also parallel, in which case it is a parallelogram. What would settle it. Knowing that \( \overline{AD} \) and \( \overline{BC} \) are also parallel, or that \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{DC} \), or that the diagonals bisect each other. Any one of those converts the figure into a parallelogram by one of the five tests. This is the same trap as the "where students lose marks" note, and it is worth recognizing by shape: conditions spread across two different pairs of sides are almost never enough. No; an isosceles trapezoid satisfies both conditions without being a parallelogram

Lesson 7.4 · Unit 7 · G-CO.11

A parallelogram plus one condition, three times over

Each special parallelogram is defined by adding a single condition, and each gains a diagonal property as a consequence. Knowing which diagonal property belongs to which figure is the fastest way to classify a quadrilateral from a diagram or from coordinates.

The method
  1. A rectangle is a parallelogram with four right angles. One right angle is enough, since consecutive angles are supplementary and opposite angles congruent.
  2. A rhombus is a parallelogram with four congruent sides. Two adjacent congruent sides suffice, since opposite sides are already congruent.
  3. A square is both, so it has four right angles and four congruent sides.
  4. The diagonals of a rectangle are congruent, and that property characterizes rectangles among parallelograms.
  5. The diagonals of a rhombus are perpendicular and each bisects a pair of opposite angles.
  6. The diagonals of a square are congruent and perpendicular, inheriting both.
  7. Every property of a parallelogram still holds for all three, since each is a parallelogram.
  8. To classify from diagonals: bisect each other means parallelogram; also congruent means rectangle; also perpendicular means rhombus; all three means square.

Where students lose marks: attaching the wrong diagonal property. Congruent diagonals belong to the rectangle; perpendicular diagonals to the rhombus. A quick memory aid: a rectangle's diagonals both stretch corner to corner across the same long shape, so they match in length.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Prove the diagonals of a rectangle are congruent. (b) Prove the diagonals of a rhombus are perpendicular. (c) A parallelogram has diagonals that are congruent and perpendicular. Classify it. (d) A rhombus has diagonals of 16 and 30. Find its side length.

Step one: set up (a). Given: rectangle \( ABCD \). Prove: \( \overline{AC} \cong \overline{BD} \). The two diagonals are sides of two triangles that share the bottom side, which is the route to take.

Step two: prove (a). 1. \( ABCD \) is a rectangle. Reason: given. 2. \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{BC} \). Reason: opposite sides of a parallelogram are congruent, since a rectangle is a parallelogram. 3. \( \angle DAB \) and \( \angle CBA \) are right angles. Reason: definition of a rectangle. 4. \( \angle DAB \cong \angle CBA \). Reason: right angle congruence theorem. 5. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{BA} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 6. \( \triangle DAB \cong \triangle CBA \). Reason: SAS. 7. \( \overline{DB} \cong \overline{CA} \). Reason: CPCTC.

Step three: set up (b). Given: rhombus \( ABCD \) with diagonals meeting at \( E \). Prove: \( \overline{AC} \perp \overline{BD} \).

Step four: prove (b). 1. \( ABCD \) is a rhombus. Reason: given. 2. \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CB} \). Reason: definition of a rhombus, all sides congruent. 3. \( \overline{AE} \cong \overline{EC} \). Reason: the diagonals of a parallelogram bisect each other. 4. \( \overline{BE} \cong \overline{BE} \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 5. \( \triangle ABE \cong \triangle CBE \). Reason: SSS. 6. \( \angle AEB \cong \angle CEB \). Reason: CPCTC. 7. \( \angle AEB \) and \( \angle CEB \) form a linear pair. Reason: \( A \), \( E \), \( C \) are collinear on the diagonal. 8. \( \angle AEB \) and \( \angle CEB \) are supplementary. Reason: linear pair theorem. 9. Each is a right angle. Reason: two congruent supplementary angles are right angles, from lesson 1.4. 10. \( \overline{AC} \perp \overline{BD} \). Reason: definition of perpendicular lines.

Step five: answer (c). Congruent diagonals in a parallelogram characterize a rectangle. Perpendicular diagonals characterize a rhombus. Having both, the figure is both a rectangle and a rhombus, which is a square.

Step six: set up (d). The diagonals of a rhombus are perpendicular and bisect each other, so they cut the rhombus into four congruent right triangles. The legs of each are half of each diagonal. Half of 16 is 8, and half of 30 is 15.

Step seven: apply the Pythagorean theorem. Each side of the rhombus is the hypotenuse of one of those right triangles: \( s = \sqrt{8^2 + 15^2} = \sqrt{64 + 225} = \sqrt{289} = 17 \).

Step eight: check the answer. All four sides are 17, so the perimeter is \( 4 \times 17 = 68 \). Sanity check on the numbers: the side must be longer than half of either diagonal, since it is a hypotenuse, and \( 17 \gt 15 \gt 8 \). Correct. It must also be less than half the sum of the two half-diagonals doubled, which is not a binding constraint here. A second check: the rhombus's area can be computed two ways. As half the product of the diagonals: \( \dfrac{1}{2}(16)(30) = 240 \). As four congruent right triangles: \( 4 \times \dfrac{1}{2}(8)(15) = 4 \times 60 = 240 \). They agree.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What extra condition makes a parallelogram a rectangle?
    Show the full solution

    A right angle

  2. What extra condition makes a parallelogram a rhombus?
    Show the full solution

    Two adjacent congruent sides

  3. Which figure has congruent diagonals?
    Show the full solution

    The rectangle, and therefore the square

  4. Which figure has perpendicular diagonals?
    Show the full solution

    The rhombus, and therefore the square

  5. A rhombus has diagonals of 6 and 8. Find its side.
    Show the full solution

    Halves are 3 and 4, so \( s = \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \). 5

  6. A rectangle has sides 9 and 12. Find the length of each diagonal.
    Show the full solution

    A diagonal is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with legs equal to the sides, since a rectangle has right angles. \( d = \sqrt{81 + 144} = \sqrt{225} = 15 \). Both diagonals measure 15, since the diagonals of a rectangle are congruent. 15 each

  7. A square has a diagonal of \( 10\sqrt{2} \). Find its side and area.
    Show the full solution

    In a square the diagonal is the hypotenuse of a right triangle whose legs are two sides, both of length \( s \): \( d = \sqrt{s^2 + s^2} = s\sqrt{2} \). So \( s\sqrt{2} = 10\sqrt{2} \), giving \( s = 10 \). Area: \( s^2 = 100 \). Check with the rhombus area formula, since a square is a rhombus: half the product of the diagonals is \( \dfrac{1}{2}(10\sqrt{2})(10\sqrt{2}) = \dfrac{1}{2}(200) = 100 \). Agrees. Side 10, area 100

  8. A parallelogram has one right angle. Prove it is a rectangle.
    Show the full solution

    Given: parallelogram \( ABCD \) with \( \angle A \) a right angle. Prove: \( ABCD \) is a rectangle. 1. \( ABCD \) is a parallelogram with \( m\angle A = 90 \). Reason: given. 2. \( m\angle C = m\angle A = 90 \). Reason: opposite angles of a parallelogram are congruent. 3. \( \angle A \) and \( \angle B \) are supplementary. Reason: consecutive angles of a parallelogram are supplementary. 4. \( m\angle B = 180 - 90 = 90 \). Reason: definition of supplementary angles and substitution. 5. \( m\angle D = m\angle B = 90 \). Reason: opposite angles of a parallelogram are congruent. 6. All four angles are right angles. Reason: lines 1, 2, 4 and 5 with the definition of a right angle. 7. \( ABCD \) is a rectangle. Reason: definition of a rectangle. This is why the definition needs only one right angle: the parallelogram properties propagate it to all four. Proved in seven lines

  9. Explain why every square is a rectangle and a rhombus, but not every rectangle is a square.
    Show the full solution

    A square is defined as having four right angles and four congruent sides. A rectangle is a parallelogram with four right angles. A square has four right angles, and it is a parallelogram since its opposite sides are parallel, so it satisfies the rectangle definition. Every square is a rectangle. A rhombus is a parallelogram with four congruent sides. A square has four congruent sides, so it satisfies that definition too. Every square is a rhombus. The converse fails in both directions because each of those definitions demands less. A 3 by 5 rectangle has four right angles and is not a square, because its sides are not all congruent. A rhombus with \( 60^\circ \) and \( 120^\circ \) angles has four congruent sides and is not a square, because its angles are not right. The general pattern of this unit: adding a condition narrows the class, so the more specific figure is always a member of the broader one and not conversely. Lesson 7.6 organizes all of this into a hierarchy. A square satisfies both definitions by having both properties; a rectangle lacks the congruent sides and a rhombus lacks the right angles

  10. A rhombus has a side of 13 and one diagonal of 24. Find the other diagonal and the area.
    Show the full solution

    Set up. The diagonals of a rhombus are perpendicular and bisect each other, so they cut it into four congruent right triangles whose legs are the half diagonals and whose hypotenuse is a side. Half of the known diagonal is \( \dfrac{24}{2} = 12 \). Find the other half diagonal. By the Pythagorean theorem, \( 12^2 + b^2 = 13^2 \), so \( b^2 = 169 - 144 = 25 \) and \( b = 5 \). The other diagonal is \( 2 \times 5 = 10 \). Find the area. For a rhombus the area is half the product of the diagonals: \( \dfrac{1}{2}(24)(10) = 120 \). Check by a second method. Four congruent right triangles with legs 12 and 5: \( 4 \times \dfrac{1}{2}(12)(5) = 4 \times 30 = 120 \). Agrees. Check by a third method. A rhombus is a parallelogram, so its area is base times height. The base is 13. The height can be found from the area: \( h = \dfrac{120}{13} \approx 9.23 \), which is less than the side of 13 as a height must be. Consistent. Sanity check on the numbers. The side 13 must exceed each half diagonal, and \( 13 \gt 12 \gt 5 \). Correct. The 5-12-13 right triangle is the standard one, which is why the numbers came out whole. The other diagonal is 10 and the area is 120

Lesson 7.5 · Unit 7 · G-CO.11

Two quadrilaterals that are not parallelograms

Trapezoids and kites sit outside the parallelogram family, and each has its own small set of theorems. The trapezoid midsegment generalizes the triangle midsegment of lesson 6.5, and the kite's diagonal property echoes the rhombus's without the figure being one.

The method
  1. A trapezoid is a quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel sides, called the bases, with the other two called the legs.
  2. Some texts define it as at least one pair, which makes every parallelogram a trapezoid. This course uses exactly one, and a question should say which it means.
  3. An isosceles trapezoid has congruent legs.
  4. In an isosceles trapezoid each pair of base angles is congruent, and the diagonals are congruent.
  5. The midsegment of a trapezoid joins the midpoints of the legs and is parallel to the bases.
  6. Its length is the average of the bases: \( m = \dfrac{b_1 + b_2}{2} \).
  7. A kite has two distinct pairs of congruent adjacent sides.
  8. The diagonals of a kite are perpendicular, and the diagonal between the congruent pairs bisects the other.

Where students lose marks: adding the bases instead of averaging them for the midsegment. A trapezoid with bases 8 and 14 has a midsegment of \( \dfrac{8 + 14}{2} = 11 \), which sensibly lies between the two bases. Any answer outside that range is wrong.

Worked example

The problem. (a) A trapezoid has bases 8 and 14. Find the midsegment. (b) A trapezoid has one base 10 and midsegment 17. Find the other base. (c) Prove that the base angles of an isosceles trapezoid are congruent. (d) A kite has diagonals of 12 and 16, with the 16 bisected. Find all four sides.

Step one: answer (a). The midsegment is the average of the bases: \( m = \dfrac{8 + 14}{2} = \dfrac{22}{2} = 11 \). Sanity check: 11 lies between 8 and 14, as an average must.

Step two: answer (b) by solving for the unknown base. \( \dfrac{10 + b}{2} = 17 \), so \( 10 + b = 34 \) and \( b = 24 \). Check: \( \dfrac{10 + 24}{2} = 17 \). Correct, and 17 lies between 10 and 24.

Step three: set up (c). Given: isosceles trapezoid \( ABCD \) with \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DC} \) and legs \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{BC} \). Prove: \( \angle A \cong \angle B \). Draw the altitudes from \( D \) and \( C \) to \( \overline{AB} \), meeting it at \( P \) and \( Q \).

Step four: prove (c). 1. \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DC} \); \( \overline{AD} \cong \overline{BC} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \overline{DP} \perp \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{CQ} \perp \overline{AB} \). Reason: by construction. 3. \( \overline{DP} \cong \overline{CQ} \). Reason: the distance between two parallel lines is constant, so both altitudes have the same length. 4. \( \angle APD \) and \( \angle BQC \) are right angles. Reason: definition of perpendicular lines. 5. \( \triangle APD \) and \( \triangle BQC \) are right triangles. Reason: definition of a right triangle. 6. \( \triangle APD \cong \triangle BQC \). Reason: HL, with the legs \( \overline{AD} \) and \( \overline{BC} \) as hypotenuses and \( \overline{DP} \), \( \overline{CQ} \) as legs. 7. \( \angle A \cong \angle B \). Reason: CPCTC.

Step five: set up (d). A kite's diagonals are perpendicular, and the diagonal joining the vertices between the congruent pairs bisects the other diagonal. Here the diagonal of length 16 is bisected, so its halves are 8 each. The diagonal of length 12 is not bisected, so its two pieces are unknown and unequal, call them \( p \) and \( q \) with \( p + q = 12 \).

Step six: recognize what is determined. The four sides are hypotenuses of right triangles with one leg 8 and the other leg \( p \) or \( q \). Two sides have length \( \sqrt{p^2 + 64} \) and two have length \( \sqrt{q^2 + 64} \), which is the kite's two pairs of congruent adjacent sides. Without knowing \( p \) and \( q \) individually the side lengths cannot be pinned down, so the problem as posed needs one more piece of information.

Step seven: supply a natural extra condition and finish. Suppose the diagonal of length 12 is divided into pieces of 6 and 6? That would make it bisected too, forcing a rhombus rather than a general kite. Take instead \( p = 4 \) and \( q = 8 \), so \( p + q = 12 \). Short sides: \( \sqrt{16 + 64} = \sqrt{80} = 4\sqrt{5} \approx 8.94 \), two of them. Long sides: \( \sqrt{64 + 64} = \sqrt{128} = 8\sqrt{2} \approx 11.31 \), two of them.

Step eight: check and state the general lesson. The two pairs are congruent and adjacent, as a kite requires, and the four sides are not all equal, so it is not a rhombus. The area is half the product of the diagonals, \( \dfrac{1}{2}(12)(16) = 96 \), which also equals the four right triangles: \( \dfrac{1}{2}(8)(4) \times 2 + \dfrac{1}{2}(8)(8) \times 2 = 32 + 64 = 96 \). Agrees. The general lesson from step six: a kite is determined by its diagonals only when the division point of the non-bisected diagonal is known. That is the difference from a rhombus, where both diagonals are bisected and the two lengths determine everything, as lesson 7.4 showed.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is the midsegment of a trapezoid with bases 6 and 10?
    Show the full solution

    Average them. 8

  2. What makes a trapezoid isosceles?
    Show the full solution

    Congruent legs

  3. Are the diagonals of an isosceles trapezoid congruent?
    Show the full solution

    Yes

  4. What are the sides of a kite like?
    Show the full solution

    Two distinct pairs of congruent adjacent sides

  5. Are the diagonals of a kite perpendicular?
    Show the full solution

    Yes

  6. A trapezoid has bases \( 3x + 1 \) and \( x + 9 \) with midsegment 15. Find both bases.
    Show the full solution

    The midsegment averages the bases: \( \dfrac{(3x + 1) + (x + 9)}{2} = 15 \), so \( 4x + 10 = 30 \), giving \( 4x = 20 \) and \( x = 5 \). Bases: \( 3(5) + 1 = 16 \) and \( 5 + 9 = 14 \). Check: \( \dfrac{16 + 14}{2} = 15 \). Correct, and 15 lies between 14 and 16. 16 and 14

  7. An isosceles trapezoid has a base angle of \( 62^\circ \). Find all four angles.
    Show the full solution

    Base angles come in congruent pairs, so two angles measure \( 62^\circ \) each. The legs are transversals of the two parallel bases, so each pair of angles on the same leg is a same-side interior pair and therefore supplementary: \( 180 - 62 = 118^\circ \). So the other two angles measure \( 118^\circ \) each. Check: \( 62 + 62 + 118 + 118 = 360 \), the quadrilateral angle sum. Correct. \( 62^\circ \), \( 62^\circ \), \( 118^\circ \), \( 118^\circ \)

  8. A kite has sides of 7, 7, 13 and 13. Its shorter diagonal is 10. Find the longer diagonal.
    Show the full solution

    The shorter diagonal joins the two vertices where the unequal sides meet, and the longer diagonal bisects it, so the halves are 5 each. The longer diagonal is made of two pieces, one in each of the two triangles the shorter diagonal creates. In the triangle with two sides of 7: the piece is \( \sqrt{49 - 25} = \sqrt{24} = 2\sqrt{6} \approx 4.90 \). In the triangle with two sides of 13: the piece is \( \sqrt{169 - 25} = \sqrt{144} = 12 \). Total: \( 12 + 2\sqrt{6} \approx 16.90 \). Check: the diagonals are perpendicular, so the area is \( \dfrac{1}{2}(10)(12 + 2\sqrt{6}) \approx \dfrac{1}{2}(10)(16.90) \approx 84.5 \), a plausible area for a figure with these side lengths. \( 12 + 2\sqrt{6} \approx 16.90 \)

  9. Prove the trapezoid midsegment theorem using the triangle midsegment theorem.
    Show the full solution

    Given: trapezoid \( ABCD \) with \( \overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DC} \), \( M \) the midpoint of leg \( \overline{AD} \), \( N \) the midpoint of leg \( \overline{BC} \). Prove: \( MN = \dfrac{AB + DC}{2} \). The construction. Draw the diagonal \( \overline{AC} \), meeting \( \overline{MN} \) at a point \( P \). In \( \triangle ADC \). \( M \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AD} \), and \( \overline{MP} \) is parallel to \( \overline{DC} \), since \( \overline{MN} \) is parallel to both bases. By the converse of the triangle midsegment theorem, \( P \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \), and \( \overline{MP} \) is a midsegment, so \( MP = \dfrac{DC}{2} \). In \( \triangle ABC \). \( P \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \) and \( N \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{BC} \), so \( \overline{PN} \) is a midsegment and \( PN = \dfrac{AB}{2} \). Combine. \( MN = MP + PN = \dfrac{DC}{2} + \dfrac{AB}{2} = \dfrac{AB + DC}{2} \). So the trapezoid midsegment is the average of the bases, proved by splitting it into two triangle midsegments. Proved by drawing a diagonal and applying the triangle midsegment theorem twice

  10. An isosceles trapezoid has bases 10 and 22 and legs of 10. Find its height and area.
    Show the full solution

    Set up. Drop altitudes from the two endpoints of the shorter base to the longer base. They cut the longer base into three pieces: two equal end pieces and a middle piece equal to the shorter base. The middle piece is 10, so the two end pieces together measure \( 22 - 10 = 12 \), and each is \( \dfrac{12}{2} = 6 \). The end pieces are equal because the trapezoid is isosceles, which is where that condition is used. Find the height. Each leg is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with horizontal leg 6 and vertical leg \( h \): \( 6^2 + h^2 = 10^2 \), so \( h^2 = 100 - 36 = 64 \) and \( h = 8 \). Find the area. A trapezoid's area is the midsegment times the height, or equivalently \( \dfrac{b_1 + b_2}{2} \cdot h \): \( \dfrac{10 + 22}{2} \times 8 = 16 \times 8 = 128 \). Check by decomposition. The figure is a 10 by 8 rectangle in the middle plus two right triangles with legs 6 and 8 at the ends: \( 80 + 2 \times \dfrac{1}{2}(6)(8) = 80 + 48 = 128 \). Agrees. Sanity check. The leg of 10 is the hypotenuse of a 6-8-10 triangle, so the height 8 is less than the leg 10 as it must be. And the midsegment is 16, between the bases of 10 and 22. Both consistent. Height 8, area 128

Lesson 7.6 · Unit 7 · G-CO.11

Naming a figure by what has been proved, not by what it resembles

The special quadrilaterals form a hierarchy, with each more specific figure belonging to every broader class above it. The discipline this demands is answering a classification question with the most specific name that has been justified, which is not always the name the picture suggests.

The method
  1. Every square is a rectangle and a rhombus; every rectangle and rhombus is a parallelogram; every parallelogram is a quadrilateral.
  2. The relationships run one way only. Not every rectangle is a square, and not every parallelogram is a rectangle.
  3. Trapezoids and kites sit outside the parallelogram branch under the exclusive definition of a trapezoid this course uses.
  4. A question asking "what is this figure" wants the most specific justified name.
  5. A question asking "must this be a square" wants a yes only if every figure satisfying the conditions is one.
  6. Justify with a test, not with the drawing. A parallelogram drawn with nearly equal sides is still not a rhombus unless proved.
  7. Work up the hierarchy: establish parallelogram first, then check for the extra conditions that make it a rectangle or rhombus.
  8. Use the diagonal tests as a fast classifier when the diagonals are known.

Where students lose marks: answering "rectangle" when the figure is a square. A square is a rectangle, so the answer is not false, but the question wanted the most specific name and a more specific one was available and justified.

Worked example

The problem. Classify each as specifically as the information allows, and say which broader names also apply: (a) a quadrilateral whose diagonals bisect each other; (b) a parallelogram with congruent diagonals; (c) a parallelogram with perpendicular diagonals; (d) a quadrilateral whose diagonals bisect each other and are congruent and perpendicular; (e) a quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel sides and congruent legs.

Step one: classify (a). Diagonals bisecting each other is test four from lesson 7.3, so the figure is a parallelogram. Nothing further is given, so nothing more specific is justified. It might happen to be a rectangle or rhombus, but the information does not establish it. Broader names that also apply: quadrilateral.

Step two: classify (b). Congruent diagonals in a parallelogram characterize a rectangle, from lesson 7.4. So the figure is a rectangle. Broader names: parallelogram and quadrilateral. Is it a square? Not necessarily; a 3 by 5 rectangle has congruent diagonals and is not a square.

Step three: classify (c). Perpendicular diagonals in a parallelogram characterize a rhombus. So the figure is a rhombus. Broader names: parallelogram and quadrilateral. Is it a square? Not necessarily; a rhombus with \( 60^\circ \) angles has perpendicular diagonals and is not a square.

Step four: classify (d). Bisecting each other gives a parallelogram. Congruent additionally gives a rectangle. Perpendicular additionally gives a rhombus. A figure that is both a rectangle and a rhombus is a square. Broader names: rectangle, rhombus, parallelogram, quadrilateral. All four also apply, and the answer to "what is it" is square, the most specific.

Step five: classify (e). Exactly one pair of parallel sides makes it a trapezoid under this course's definition. Congruent legs make it an isosceles trapezoid. Broader names: trapezoid and quadrilateral. Not a parallelogram, since a parallelogram has two pairs of parallel sides and this has exactly one.

Step six: draw out the structure. Reading upward from any figure gives the names that also apply. Square, then rectangle and rhombus, then parallelogram, then quadrilateral. Isosceles trapezoid, then trapezoid, then quadrilateral. Kite, then quadrilateral. Nothing in the trapezoid or kite branches is a parallelogram, and nothing in the parallelogram branch is a trapezoid, under the exclusive definition.

Step seven: test the reasoning against a trap. Suppose a question gives a parallelogram with two congruent adjacent sides and asks whether it is a square. The congruent adjacent sides make it a rhombus, and a rhombus is not necessarily a square. The answer is no, not necessarily, even though the figure might be drawn looking square. Only if a right angle were also given would the answer become yes.

Step eight: state the two question types. "What is this figure?" wants the most specific justified name, so a square should be called a square rather than a rectangle. "Must this be a rhombus?" wants yes only if every figure meeting the conditions is one, so a single counterexample settles it as no. Reading which type of question is being asked prevents most classification errors, and justifying with a named test rather than with the drawing prevents the rest.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Is every square a rectangle?
    Show the full solution

    Yes

  2. Is every rectangle a square?
    Show the full solution

    No

  3. Is every rhombus a parallelogram?
    Show the full solution

    Yes

  4. Is a trapezoid a parallelogram?
    Show the full solution

    Under the exclusive definition used here. No

  5. Name the most specific figure with four congruent sides and four right angles.
    Show the full solution

    Square

  6. A parallelogram has two congruent adjacent sides. Classify it as specifically as possible.
    Show the full solution

    In a parallelogram, opposite sides are already congruent. Adding that two adjacent sides are congruent makes all four congruent, by the transitive property. A parallelogram with four congruent sides is a rhombus. It is not necessarily a square, since nothing about the angles is given. A rhombus with \( 70^\circ \) and \( 110^\circ \) angles satisfies the conditions and is not a square. A rhombus

  7. A quadrilateral has congruent diagonals. Must it be a rectangle?
    Show the full solution

    No. The theorem is that a parallelogram with congruent diagonals is a rectangle, and the parallelogram condition is doing real work. A counterexample: an isosceles trapezoid has congruent diagonals, as lesson 7.5 established, and it is not a rectangle. It is not even a parallelogram. What would be needed: the diagonals must also bisect each other, which establishes the parallelogram, and then congruence gives the rectangle. This is a good example of the general error of dropping a hypothesis. The conclusion of a theorem depends on all of its conditions, and a question that supplies only some of them supports only a weaker conclusion. No; an isosceles trapezoid is a counterexample

  8. List every name that applies to a square, from most to least specific.
    Show the full solution

    Square, rectangle, rhombus, parallelogram, quadrilateral, polygon. Each name up the list is broader and each is genuinely correct. A square really is a rectangle, because it satisfies the rectangle definition of a parallelogram with four right angles, and it really is a rhombus, because it has four congruent sides. What a classification question wants is the first name on this list, the most specific justified one. Answering "parallelogram" is not false but is marked down, because a more specific name was available and supported. Note that rectangle and rhombus are at the same level rather than one above the other. Neither implies the other, and the square is exactly their intersection. Square, rectangle, rhombus, parallelogram, quadrilateral, polygon

  9. Explain why the exclusive definition of a trapezoid puts it outside the parallelogram branch, and what changes under the inclusive definition.
    Show the full solution

    Exclusive definition: a trapezoid has exactly one pair of parallel sides. A parallelogram has two pairs, so it fails the "exactly one" condition and is not a trapezoid. The two branches are disjoint, and the hierarchy has trapezoids and kites as separate families from parallelograms. Inclusive definition: a trapezoid has at least one pair of parallel sides. Then every parallelogram qualifies as a trapezoid, and the parallelogram branch sits underneath the trapezoid branch. The hierarchy becomes a single tree with trapezoid above parallelogram. What changes in practice. Under the inclusive definition, "this is a trapezoid" is true of a square, which sounds wrong to most students and is why many courses prefer the exclusive version. But the inclusive version makes the trapezoid midsegment formula apply to parallelograms as a special case: with \( b_1 = b_2 \), the average is that common value, which is correct for a parallelogram's midsegment. What to do on a test. Use the definition the course states, and if a question turns on the distinction, say which definition is being used. The mathematics is identical; only the naming convention differs. Exclusive keeps the branches separate; inclusive makes every parallelogram a trapezoid and unifies the midsegment formula

  10. A quadrilateral has diagonals that are perpendicular. List everything it could be, and what extra information would narrow it each way.
    Show the full solution

    Perpendicular diagonals alone are a weak condition. Three named families have them. A rhombus. Its diagonals are perpendicular and also bisect each other. To narrow to this, add that the diagonals bisect each other, which gives a parallelogram, and combined with perpendicularity gives a rhombus. A square. A special rhombus. To narrow to this, add that the diagonals are also congruent and bisect each other. A kite. Its diagonals are perpendicular, and one bisects the other but not conversely. To narrow to this, add that exactly one diagonal bisects the other, or that there are two pairs of congruent adjacent sides. And an unnamed quadrilateral. Two segments crossing at right angles with neither bisecting the other still determine a quadrilateral, and it has no special name. Take diagonals crossing so that one is split 2 and 5 and the other 1 and 7: the four sides are all different and no family applies. The general lesson. A single diagonal condition rarely classifies a figure. The useful classifier is the combination: bisecting gives parallelogram, adding congruent gives rectangle, adding perpendicular gives rhombus, adding both gives square. Perpendicular without bisecting leaves the kite and the general case open. A rhombus, a square, a kite, or an unnamed quadrilateral; adding that the diagonals bisect each other narrows it to rhombus, and adding congruence as well gives a square

Lesson 7.7 · Unit 7 · G-GPE.4

Classifying with slope, distance and midpoint

Given four vertices, three formulas settle what the figure is. Slope decides parallel and perpendicular, distance decides congruent, and midpoint decides bisecting. A coordinate classification is a proof, and it should be written as one.

The method
  1. Slope tests for parallel and perpendicular sides, equal slopes and slopes multiplying to \( -1 \) respectively.
  2. The distance formula tests for congruent sides and diagonals.
  3. The midpoint formula tests whether the diagonals bisect each other, by checking whether both have the same midpoint.
  4. Plot the points first, or at least sketch them, so an obviously wrong answer is visible.
  5. Work up the hierarchy: check for a parallelogram, then for the extra conditions.
  6. State which test each computation performed rather than listing bare numbers.
  7. Compute only what is needed. Four slopes and four side lengths settle most questions; the diagonals are needed only to distinguish further.
  8. Name the most specific justified figure and say which test justified it.

Where students lose marks: computing correct numbers and never saying what they show. A coordinate classification must state the conclusion each computation supports, such as "the slopes are equal, so these sides are parallel," rather than presenting a list of slopes and a bare answer.

Worked example

The problem. Classify the quadrilateral with vertices \( A(0,0) \), \( B(4,3) \), \( C(9,3) \), \( D(5,0) \) as specifically as possible, showing every test.

Step one: sketch mentally. The points run from the origin up to \( (4,3) \), across to \( (9,3) \), and back down to \( (5,0) \). The top and bottom look horizontal-ish and the sides slanted, suggesting a parallelogram or a rhombus.

Step two: compute all four slopes. \( \overline{AB} \): \( \dfrac{3 - 0}{4 - 0} = \dfrac{3}{4} \). \( \overline{BC} \): \( \dfrac{3 - 3}{9 - 4} = 0 \). \( \overline{CD} \): \( \dfrac{0 - 3}{5 - 9} = \dfrac{-3}{-4} = \dfrac{3}{4} \). \( \overline{DA} \): \( \dfrac{0 - 0}{0 - 5} = 0 \).

Step three: state what the slopes show. \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{CD} \) both have slope \( \dfrac{3}{4} \), so they are parallel. \( \overline{BC} \) and \( \overline{DA} \) both have slope 0, so they are parallel. Both pairs of opposite sides are parallel, so \( ABCD \) is a parallelogram by definition.

Step four: compute all four side lengths. \( AB \): differences 4 and 3, so \( \sqrt{16 + 9} = 5 \). \( BC \): differences 5 and 0, so 5. \( CD \): differences \( -4 \) and \( -3 \), so \( \sqrt{16 + 9} = 5 \). \( DA \): differences \( -5 \) and 0, so 5.

Step five: state what the lengths show. All four sides measure 5, so all four are congruent. A parallelogram with four congruent sides is a rhombus. So \( ABCD \) is a rhombus.

Step six: test for a square by checking a right angle. Adjacent sides \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{BC} \) have slopes \( \dfrac{3}{4} \) and 0. Their product is 0, not \( -1 \), so they are not perpendicular. Therefore the figure is not a rectangle and not a square.

Step seven: confirm with the diagonals. \( \overline{AC} \): from \( (0,0) \) to \( (9,3) \), slope \( \dfrac{3}{9} = \dfrac{1}{3} \), length \( \sqrt{81 + 9} = \sqrt{90} = 3\sqrt{10} \approx 9.49 \). \( \overline{BD} \): from \( (4,3) \) to \( (5,0) \), slope \( \dfrac{0 - 3}{5 - 4} = -3 \), length \( \sqrt{1 + 9} = \sqrt{10} \approx 3.16 \). Slopes multiply to \( \dfrac{1}{3} \times (-3) = -1 \), so the diagonals are perpendicular, confirming the rhombus. The lengths differ, \( 3\sqrt{10} \) against \( \sqrt{10} \), so the diagonals are not congruent, confirming it is not a rectangle and therefore not a square.

Step eight: check that the diagonals bisect each other and state the conclusion. Midpoint of \( \overline{AC} \): \( \left( \dfrac{0+9}{2}, \dfrac{0+3}{2} \right) = (4.5, 1.5) \). Midpoint of \( \overline{BD} \): \( \left( \dfrac{4+5}{2}, \dfrac{3+0}{2} \right) = (4.5, 1.5) \). Same midpoint, so the diagonals bisect each other, consistent with a parallelogram. Conclusion: \( ABCD \) is a rhombus. It is also a parallelogram and a quadrilateral, and it is not a rectangle or a square. Every claim was justified by a named test on computed values, which is what makes this a proof rather than an inspection.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Which formula tests for parallel sides?
    Show the full solution

    Slope

  2. Which formula tests for congruent sides?
    Show the full solution

    Distance

  3. Which formula tests whether diagonals bisect each other?
    Show the full solution

    Midpoint; both diagonals must share one

  4. Two adjacent sides have slopes 2 and \( -\frac{1}{2} \). What follows?
    Show the full solution

    The product is \( -1 \). They are perpendicular, so that angle is right

  5. What is the most specific figure with four congruent sides and a right angle?
    Show the full solution

    A square

  6. Classify the quadrilateral \( (0,0) \), \( (5,0) \), \( (7,4) \), \( (2,4) \).
    Show the full solution

    Slopes. Bottom: \( \dfrac{0-0}{5-0} = 0 \). Right: \( \dfrac{4-0}{7-5} = 2 \). Top: \( \dfrac{4-4}{2-7} = 0 \). Left: \( \dfrac{0-4}{0-2} = 2 \). Both pairs of opposite sides are parallel, so it is a parallelogram. Lengths. Bottom: 5. Right: \( \sqrt{4 + 16} = \sqrt{20} \). Top: 5. Left: \( \sqrt{4 + 16} = \sqrt{20} \). Opposite sides congruent, as a parallelogram requires, but adjacent sides are not congruent since \( 5 \neq \sqrt{20} \approx 4.47 \). So it is not a rhombus. Right angles. \( 0 \times 2 = 0 \), not \( -1 \), so adjacent sides are not perpendicular. Not a rectangle. A parallelogram, and nothing more specific

  7. Classify the quadrilateral \( (0,0) \), \( (4,0) \), \( (4,4) \), \( (0,4) \).
    Show the full solution

    Slopes. Bottom 0, right undefined (vertical), top 0, left undefined. Both pairs of opposite sides parallel, so a parallelogram. Right angles. A horizontal side meets a vertical side, which are perpendicular. So all four angles are right and it is a rectangle. Lengths. All four sides measure 4, so all are congruent and it is also a rhombus. A figure that is both a rectangle and a rhombus is a square. Diagonals as a check. From \( (0,0) \) to \( (4,4) \): \( \sqrt{32} = 4\sqrt{2} \). From \( (4,0) \) to \( (0,4) \): \( \sqrt{32} = 4\sqrt{2} \). Congruent, as a rectangle requires. Slopes 1 and \( -1 \), product \( -1 \), perpendicular as a rhombus requires. Both confirm. A square

  8. Classify the quadrilateral \( (0,0) \), \( (6,0) \), \( (5,3) \), \( (1,3) \).
    Show the full solution

    Slopes. Bottom: 0. Right, from \( (6,0) \) to \( (5,3) \): \( \dfrac{3}{-1} = -3 \). Top, from \( (5,3) \) to \( (1,3) \): 0. Left, from \( (1,3) \) to \( (0,0) \): \( \dfrac{-3}{-1} = 3 \). The bottom and top are parallel, both slope 0. The left and right are not, since \( 3 \neq -3 \). Exactly one pair of parallel sides, so it is a trapezoid. Legs. Right: \( \sqrt{1 + 9} = \sqrt{10} \). Left: \( \sqrt{1 + 9} = \sqrt{10} \). Congruent, so it is an isosceles trapezoid. Diagonals as a check. From \( (0,0) \) to \( (5,3) \): \( \sqrt{34} \). From \( (6,0) \) to \( (1,3) \): \( \sqrt{25 + 9} = \sqrt{34} \). Congruent, as an isosceles trapezoid requires. An isosceles trapezoid

  9. Explain why a coordinate classification counts as a proof.
    Show the full solution

    A proof establishes a conclusion from stated facts by named justifications, and a coordinate classification does exactly that. The given facts are the coordinates of the vertices. The justifications are the slope, distance and midpoint formulas, each of which is a theorem proved earlier in the course, together with the tests and definitions of this unit. A complete classification says: these two slopes are equal, so by the slope criterion these sides are parallel; both pairs are parallel, so by the definition the figure is a parallelogram; these four distances are equal, so by the definition it is a rhombus. Each line has a statement and a reason, exactly as a two-column proof does. What makes it fail as a proof is presenting the numbers without the conclusions. Computing four slopes and then writing "so it is a rhombus" skips every justification and is not an argument. There is also a generality question worth noting. A coordinate proof about a specific figure proves something about that figure only. To prove a general theorem by coordinates, as in the midsegment proof of lesson 6.5, the vertices must be given variable coordinates so the argument covers every case. Each computation cites a formula and supports a conclusion by a named test, so the chain from coordinates to classification is a genuine argument

  10. Classify the quadrilateral \( (0,0) \), \( (3,4) \), \( (8,4) \), \( (5,0) \), then determine its area two ways.
    Show the full solution

    Slopes. \( (0,0) \) to \( (3,4) \): \( \dfrac{4}{3} \). \( (3,4) \) to \( (8,4) \): 0. \( (8,4) \) to \( (5,0) \): \( \dfrac{-4}{-3} = \dfrac{4}{3} \). \( (5,0) \) to \( (0,0) \): 0. Both pairs of opposite sides parallel, so it is a parallelogram. Lengths. \( \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \); 5; \( \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \); 5. All four sides are 5, so it is a rhombus. Right angles. \( \dfrac{4}{3} \times 0 = 0 \), not \( -1 \). Not a rectangle, so not a square. Classification: a rhombus. Area, method one: base times height. Take the bottom side from \( (0,0) \) to \( (5,0) \) as the base, length 5. The opposite side lies along \( y = 4 \), so the height is 4. Area: \( 5 \times 4 = 20 \). Area, method two: half the product of the diagonals. Diagonal from \( (0,0) \) to \( (8,4) \): \( \sqrt{64 + 16} = \sqrt{80} = 4\sqrt{5} \). Diagonal from \( (3,4) \) to \( (5,0) \): \( \sqrt{4 + 16} = \sqrt{20} = 2\sqrt{5} \). Area: \( \dfrac{1}{2}(4\sqrt{5})(2\sqrt{5}) = \dfrac{1}{2}(8 \times 5) = 20 \). The two methods agree at 20. The second method is available only because the figure is a rhombus with perpendicular diagonals, which the classification established. Checking: the diagonal slopes are \( \dfrac{4}{8} = \dfrac{1}{2} \) and \( \dfrac{-4}{2} = -2 \), whose product is \( -1 \). Perpendicular, as required. A rhombus, with area 20 by both methods

Unit 7 mixed review · 10 problems · all topics

Unit 7: Quadrilaterals

Name a figure by what has been proved about it, not by what it looks like. The last problem asks for the most specific justified name.

  1. Find the sum of the interior angles of a hexagon.
    Show the full solution

    \( (6 - 2)180 = 720 \). \( 720^\circ \)

  2. Find one interior angle of a regular pentagon.
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{(5 - 2)180}{5} = \dfrac{540}{5} \). \( 108^\circ \)

  3. Find the sum of the exterior angles of any convex polygon.
    Show the full solution

    \( 360^\circ \)

  4. A regular polygon has exterior angles of \( 24^\circ \). Find its number of sides.
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{360}{24} \). 15

  5. One angle of a parallelogram is \( 112^\circ \). Find its opposite and its consecutive angles.
    Show the full solution

    Opposite angles are congruent and consecutive angles are supplementary. Opposite \( 112^\circ \), consecutive \( 68^\circ \)

  6. The diagonals of a parallelogram meet so that two pieces of one diagonal measure \( 3x - 4 \) and \( x + 10 \). Find the full diagonal.
    Show the full solution

    Diagonals of a parallelogram bisect each other, so the two pieces are equal: \( 3x - 4 = x + 10 \), so \( 2x = 14 \) and \( x = 7 \). Each piece is \( 3(7) - 4 = 17 \), so the diagonal is \( 34 \). Check: \( 7 + 10 = 17 \). Correct. 34

  7. A rhombus has diagonals 12 and 16. Find its side length and its area.
    Show the full solution

    The diagonals of a rhombus are perpendicular bisectors of each other, so they cut it into four congruent right triangles with legs \( \dfrac{12}{2} = 6 \) and \( \dfrac{16}{2} = 8 \). Side: \( \sqrt{36 + 64} = \sqrt{100} = 10 \). The 6-8-10 triangle. Area: \( \dfrac{1}{2}d_1 d_2 = \dfrac{1}{2}(12)(16) = 96 \). Check the area a second way: four right triangles of area \( \dfrac{1}{2}(6)(8) = 24 \) each, and \( 4 \times 24 = 96 \). Agrees. Side 10, area 96

  8. What is true of the base angles of an isosceles trapezoid?
    Show the full solution

    Each pair of base angles on the same base is congruent, and a pair of angles on the same leg is supplementary, since the bases are parallel and the leg is a transversal. Congruent in pairs on each base

  9. List the five conditions that prove a quadrilateral is a parallelogram, and explain what distinguishes a test from a property.
    Show the full solution

    The five tests. Both pairs of opposite sides parallel, which is the definition. Both pairs of opposite sides congruent. Both pairs of opposite angles congruent. Diagonals bisecting each other. One pair of sides both parallel and congruent. The distinction. A property starts from a parallelogram and concludes something. A test starts from a condition and concludes the figure is a parallelogram. They point in opposite directions, and lesson 2.2 established that a statement and its converse are logically independent even when both happen to be true. The condition that is not on the list. One pair of sides parallel, by itself, proves nothing beyond a trapezoid. One pair of sides congruent, by itself, also proves nothing. It is only when the same pair is both parallel and congruent that the conclusion follows, and forgetting the word "same" turns a valid test into an invalid one. The five tests as listed, with a test differing from a property by which direction the implication runs

  10. Classify the quadrilateral with vertices \( (-2, 1) \), \( (1, 5) \), \( (6, 5) \) and \( (3, 1) \) as specifically as the evidence allows.
    Show the full solution

    Compute the four sides. \( (-2,1) \) to \( (1,5) \): \( \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \). \( (1,5) \) to \( (6,5) \): \( \sqrt{25 + 0} = 5 \). \( (6,5) \) to \( (3,1) \): \( \sqrt{9 + 16} = 5 \). \( (3,1) \) to \( (-2,1) \): \( \sqrt{25 + 0} = 5 \). All four sides measure 5. Compute the slopes. \( (-2,1) \) to \( (1,5) \): \( \dfrac{4}{3} \). \( (1,5) \) to \( (6,5) \): \( 0 \). \( (6,5) \) to \( (3,1) \): \( \dfrac{-4}{-3} = \dfrac{4}{3} \). \( (3,1) \) to \( (-2,1) \): \( 0 \). Both pairs of opposite sides are parallel, so the figure is a parallelogram. Narrow it down. A parallelogram with four congruent sides is a rhombus. Test for a square. A square requires right angles. Adjacent sides have slopes \( \dfrac{4}{3} \) and \( 0 \), whose product is 0, not \( -1 \), and a horizontal side is perpendicular only to a vertical one. So the angles are not right and the figure is not a square. Confirm with the diagonals. \( (-2,1) \) to \( (6,5) \): slope \( \dfrac{4}{8} = \dfrac{1}{2} \), midpoint \( (2, 3) \). \( (1,5) \) to \( (3,1) \): slope \( \dfrac{-4}{2} = -2 \), midpoint \( (2, 3) \). The midpoints coincide, so the diagonals bisect each other, consistent with a parallelogram. The slopes multiply to \( \dfrac{1}{2} \times (-2) = -1 \), so the diagonals are perpendicular, which is the characteristic property of a rhombus. Their lengths differ, \( \sqrt{64 + 16} = 4\sqrt{5} \approx 8.94 \) against \( \sqrt{4 + 16} = 2\sqrt{5} \approx 4.47 \), so they are not congruent, which rules out a rectangle and therefore a square a second time. The discipline this problem is testing. Three independent lines of evidence all point to rhombus and all rule out square. Naming it a square because it "looks close" would be exactly the error lesson 7.6 warns about, and naming it merely a parallelogram would be true but less specific than the evidence supports. A rhombus that is not a square

Lesson 8.1 · Unit 8 · G-SRT.5

The algebra similarity runs on

Every result in this unit is an equation between two ratios, so the manipulations have to be automatic before the geometry starts. Two of them matter most: cross multiplying, and recognizing which rearrangements of a proportion remain true.

The method
  1. A ratio compares two quantities by division, written \( a : b \) or \( \dfrac{a}{b} \), and it has no units when the quantities share units.
  2. A proportion is an equation between two ratios, \( \dfrac{a}{b} = \dfrac{c}{d} \).
  3. The means-extremes property: \( \dfrac{a}{b} = \dfrac{c}{d} \) is equivalent to \( ad = bc \). This is cross multiplication.
  4. Several rearrangements stay true: \( \dfrac{a}{c} = \dfrac{b}{d} \), \( \dfrac{b}{a} = \dfrac{d}{c} \), and \( \dfrac{a+b}{b} = \dfrac{c+d}{d} \).
  5. Not every rearrangement is safe. \( \dfrac{a}{b} = \dfrac{c}{d} \) does not give \( \dfrac{a}{d} = \dfrac{c}{b} \) in general.
  6. An extended ratio \( a : b : c \) is handled by setting the parts to \( ax \), \( bx \), \( cx \) and solving for \( x \).
  7. Check a proportion by cross multiplying the answer and confirming both products agree.
  8. Check a geometric answer against the figure, since a correct proportion solved wrongly often gives an impossible length.

Where students lose marks: setting up a proportion with mismatched positions. If the numerators are both from the first figure, the denominators must both be from the second. Mixing them produces a true-looking equation with a wrong answer.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Solve \( \dfrac{x}{8} = \dfrac{15}{12} \). (b) Solve \( \dfrac{x+2}{5} = \dfrac{x+8}{9} \). (c) The sides of a triangle are in the ratio \( 3 : 4 : 5 \) and its perimeter is 36. Find the sides and classify the triangle. (d) Show that \( \dfrac{a}{b} = \dfrac{c}{d} \) implies \( \dfrac{a+b}{b} = \dfrac{c+d}{d} \) but not \( \dfrac{a}{d} = \dfrac{c}{b} \).

Step one: solve (a) by cross multiplying. \( 12x = 8 \times 15 = 120 \), so \( x = 10 \). Check: \( \dfrac{10}{8} = 1.25 \) and \( \dfrac{15}{12} = 1.25 \). Equal.

Step two: solve (b). Cross multiplying: \( 9(x + 2) = 5(x + 8) \), so \( 9x + 18 = 5x + 40 \), giving \( 4x = 22 \) and \( x = 5.5 \).

Step three: check (b). Left: \( \dfrac{5.5 + 2}{5} = \dfrac{7.5}{5} = 1.5 \). Right: \( \dfrac{5.5 + 8}{9} = \dfrac{13.5}{9} = 1.5 \). Equal.

Step four: set up (c) with the extended ratio. Let the sides be \( 3x \), \( 4x \) and \( 5x \). Their sum is the perimeter: \( 3x + 4x + 5x = 36 \), so \( 12x = 36 \) and \( x = 3 \).

Step five: find the sides and check. \( 3(3) = 9 \), \( 4(3) = 12 \), \( 5(3) = 15 \). Perimeter: \( 9 + 12 + 15 = 36 \). Correct. Triangle inequality: \( 9 + 12 = 21 \gt 15 \). Valid.

Step six: classify the triangle. Test with the converse of the Pythagorean theorem: \( 9^2 + 12^2 = 81 + 144 = 225 \) and \( 15^2 = 225 \). Equal, so the triangle is right, with the right angle opposite the side of 15. Any triangle with sides in the ratio \( 3 : 4 : 5 \) is right, which is worth remembering since these numbers appear constantly.

Step seven: prove the first claim in (d). Start from \( \dfrac{a}{b} = \dfrac{c}{d} \) and add 1 to both sides: \( \dfrac{a}{b} + 1 = \dfrac{c}{d} + 1 \). Writing each 1 with the matching denominator: \( \dfrac{a}{b} + \dfrac{b}{b} = \dfrac{c}{d} + \dfrac{d}{d} \), so \( \dfrac{a + b}{b} = \dfrac{c + d}{d} \). Valid, because the same operation was applied to both sides of a true equation.

Step eight: disprove the second claim with a counterexample. Take \( a = 1 \), \( b = 2 \), \( c = 3 \), \( d = 6 \). Then \( \dfrac{1}{2} = \dfrac{3}{6} \), so the proportion holds. The proposed rearrangement gives \( \dfrac{a}{d} = \dfrac{1}{6} \) and \( \dfrac{c}{b} = \dfrac{3}{2} \), which are not equal. So that rearrangement is invalid. The test is whether the manipulation can be derived by doing the same thing to both sides; swapping a numerator with the other side's denominator cannot be, and is not safe.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Solve \( \dfrac{x}{6} = \dfrac{10}{15} \).
    Show the full solution

    \( 15x = 60 \). \( x = 4 \)

  2. Solve \( \dfrac{7}{x} = \dfrac{21}{9} \).
    Show the full solution

    \( 21x = 63 \). \( x = 3 \)

  3. What does cross multiplying \( \dfrac{a}{b} = \dfrac{c}{d} \) give?
    Show the full solution

    \( ad = bc \)

  4. Two numbers are in the ratio \( 2 : 5 \) and sum to 42. Find them.
    Show the full solution

    \( 2x + 5x = 42 \), so \( x = 6 \). 12 and 30

  5. Simplify the ratio \( 18 : 24 \).
    Show the full solution

    Divide both by 6. \( 3 : 4 \)

  6. Solve \( \dfrac{2x - 1}{3} = \dfrac{x + 4}{2} \).
    Show the full solution

    Cross multiply: \( 2(2x - 1) = 3(x + 4) \), so \( 4x - 2 = 3x + 12 \), giving \( x = 14 \). Check: \( \dfrac{2(14) - 1}{3} = \dfrac{27}{3} = 9 \) and \( \dfrac{14 + 4}{2} = \dfrac{18}{2} = 9 \). Equal. \( x = 14 \)

  7. The angles of a triangle are in the ratio \( 2 : 3 : 7 \). Find them and classify the triangle.
    Show the full solution

    Let the angles be \( 2x \), \( 3x \), \( 7x \). They sum to \( 180^\circ \): \( 12x = 180 \), so \( x = 15 \). The angles are \( 30^\circ \), \( 45^\circ \) and \( 105^\circ \). Check: \( 30 + 45 + 105 = 180 \). Correct. Since one angle exceeds \( 90^\circ \), the triangle is obtuse. It is also scalene, since all three angles differ. \( 30^\circ \), \( 45^\circ \), \( 105^\circ \); obtuse scalene

  8. The sides of a triangle are in the ratio \( 5 : 12 : 13 \) with perimeter 90. Find the sides and classify it.
    Show the full solution

    \( 5x + 12x + 13x = 90 \), so \( 30x = 90 \) and \( x = 3 \). Sides: 15, 36, 39. Check the perimeter: \( 15 + 36 + 39 = 90 \). Correct. Classify with the converse of the Pythagorean theorem: \( 15^2 + 36^2 = 225 + 1296 = 1521 \) and \( 39^2 = 1521 \). Equal, so the triangle is right. Any triangle with sides in the ratio \( 5 : 12 : 13 \) is right, for the same reason as \( 3 : 4 : 5 \). 15, 36, 39; a right triangle

  9. Explain why \( \dfrac{a}{b} = \dfrac{c}{d} \) gives \( \dfrac{a}{c} = \dfrac{b}{d} \) but not \( \dfrac{a}{d} = \dfrac{c}{b} \).
    Show the full solution

    Why the first works. Cross multiplying the original gives \( ad = bc \). Cross multiplying the proposed rearrangement \( \dfrac{a}{c} = \dfrac{b}{d} \) gives \( ad = cb \). Those are the same equation, since multiplication is commutative. So the two proportions are equivalent and each implies the other. Why the second fails. Cross multiplying \( \dfrac{a}{d} = \dfrac{c}{b} \) gives \( ab = cd \), which is a completely different equation from \( ad = bc \). Nothing connects them. The test. Cross multiply both the original and the proposed rearrangement. If they produce the same equation, the rearrangement is valid; if not, it is not. A counterexample for the invalid one. With \( a = 1 \), \( b = 2 \), \( c = 3 \), \( d = 6 \): the original holds since \( \dfrac{1}{2} = \dfrac{3}{6} \), but \( \dfrac{1}{6} \neq \dfrac{3}{2} \). Cross multiplying both gives the same equation for the valid rearrangement and a different one for the invalid

  10. A rectangle has sides in the ratio \( 3 : 8 \) and area 384. Find its dimensions and perimeter.
    Show the full solution

    Set up. Let the sides be \( 3x \) and \( 8x \). Area: \( (3x)(8x) = 24x^2 \). Solve. \( 24x^2 = 384 \), so \( x^2 = 16 \) and \( x = \pm 4 \). A length cannot be negative, so \( x = 4 \). Dimensions. \( 3(4) = 12 \) and \( 8(4) = 32 \). Check the area. \( 12 \times 32 = 384 \). Correct. Check the ratio. \( 12 : 32 \) simplifies by dividing both by 4 to \( 3 : 8 \). Correct. Perimeter. \( 2(12 + 32) = 2(44) = 88 \). A point worth noting. The ratio of the sides is \( 3 : 8 \), but the area involved \( x^2 \) rather than \( x \), which is why the scale factor had to be found by taking a square root. That is the same phenomenon as the area scaling rule of lesson 11.6: lengths scale by \( k \) and areas by \( k^2 \), so recovering a length from an area requires a square root. 12 by 32, perimeter 88

Lesson 8.2 · Unit 8 · G-SRT.1

The transformation that changes size but not shape

Unit 4 collected the rigid motions, all of which preserve distance. A dilation is the first transformation in the course that does not, and it is exactly what similarity is built from: shape survives, size does not.

The method
  1. A dilation has a center \( O \) and a scale factor \( k \), mapping each point \( P \) to \( P' \) on ray \( \overrightarrow{OP} \) with \( OP' = k \cdot OP \).
  2. Centered at the origin, the rule is \( (x, y) \to (kx, ky) \).
  3. \( k \gt 1 \) enlarges and \( 0 \lt k \lt 1 \) reduces; \( k = 1 \) leaves everything fixed.
  4. A dilation multiplies every length by \( k \) and leaves every angle measure unchanged.
  5. So a dilation is not a rigid motion unless \( k = 1 \).
  6. The center is the only fixed point when \( k \neq 1 \).
  7. A line through the center maps onto itself; a line not through the center maps to a parallel line.
  8. To find \( k \) from a figure and its image, divide any image length by the corresponding preimage length.

Where students lose marks: applying the scale factor to area as if it were a length. A dilation with \( k = 3 \) triples every length and multiplies area by \( 9 \). Perimeter scales by \( k \); area by \( k^2 \).

Worked example

The problem. Triangle \( ABC \) has vertices \( A(2,1) \), \( B(6,1) \), \( C(2,4) \). (a) Dilate about the origin with \( k = 2 \) and list the image. (b) Verify every length doubled and every angle is unchanged. (c) Compare the perimeters and areas. (d) A dilation maps a segment of length 12 to one of length 8. Find \( k \) and say whether it is an enlargement.

Step one: apply the rule for (a). With \( k = 2 \) about the origin, \( (x,y) \to (2x, 2y) \). \( A(2,1) \to A'(4,2) \); \( B(6,1) \to B'(12,2) \); \( C(2,4) \to C'(4,8) \).

Step two: compute the original side lengths. \( AB \): from \( (2,1) \) to \( (6,1) \), length 4. \( AC \): from \( (2,1) \) to \( (2,4) \), length 3. \( BC \): from \( (6,1) \) to \( (2,4) \), differences \( -4 \) and 3, so \( \sqrt{16 + 9} = 5 \).

Step three: compute the image side lengths and compare. \( A'B' \): from \( (4,2) \) to \( (12,2) \), length 8. Double of 4. \( A'C' \): from \( (4,2) \) to \( (4,8) \), length 6. Double of 3. \( B'C' \): from \( (12,2) \) to \( (4,8) \), differences \( -8 \) and 6, so \( \sqrt{64 + 36} = 10 \). Double of 5. Every length doubled, as \( k = 2 \) requires.

Step four: check the angles. In the original, \( \overline{AB} \) is horizontal and \( \overline{AC} \) is vertical, so \( \angle A \) is a right angle. In the image, \( \overline{A'B'} \) is horizontal and \( \overline{A'C'} \) is vertical, so \( \angle A' \) is also right. More generally, the slope of \( \overline{BC} \) is \( \dfrac{4 - 1}{2 - 6} = -\dfrac{3}{4} \), and the slope of \( \overline{B'C'} \) is \( \dfrac{8 - 2}{4 - 12} = -\dfrac{6}{8} = -\dfrac{3}{4} \). Equal slopes mean the sides are parallel and the angles between corresponding sides are equal. Angles are preserved.

Step five: compare the perimeters for (c). Original: \( 4 + 3 + 5 = 12 \). Image: \( 8 + 6 + 10 = 24 \). The ratio is \( \dfrac{24}{12} = 2 = k \). Perimeter scales by \( k \), because a perimeter is a sum of lengths and each length scaled by \( k \).

Step six: compare the areas. Both triangles are right, so the area is half the product of the legs. Original: \( \dfrac{1}{2}(4)(3) = 6 \). Image: \( \dfrac{1}{2}(8)(6) = 24 \). The ratio is \( \dfrac{24}{6} = 4 = k^2 \). Area scales by \( k^2 \), because both dimensions scaled by \( k \).

Step seven: answer (d). The scale factor is the image length divided by the preimage length: \( k = \dfrac{8}{12} = \dfrac{2}{3} \). Since \( 0 \lt \dfrac{2}{3} \lt 1 \), this is a reduction, not an enlargement.

Step eight: note what reverses it. A dilation with \( k = \dfrac{2}{3} \) is undone by a dilation about the same center with \( k = \dfrac{3}{2} \), since \( \dfrac{2}{3} \times \dfrac{3}{2} = 1 \) and a scale factor of 1 leaves everything fixed. In general the inverse of a dilation with factor \( k \) is the dilation with factor \( \dfrac{1}{k} \) about the same center, which is why \( k = 0 \) is excluded: it would collapse everything to the center and could not be undone.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Dilate \( (3, 5) \) about the origin with \( k = 4 \).
    Show the full solution

    \( (12, 20) \)

  2. Dilate \( (8, 12) \) about the origin with \( k = \frac{1}{4} \).
    Show the full solution

    \( (2, 3) \)

  3. Is a dilation a rigid motion?
    Show the full solution

    No, unless \( k = 1 \)

  4. A dilation has \( k = 0.5 \). Enlargement or reduction?
    Show the full solution

    Reduction

  5. What does a dilation preserve?
    Show the full solution

    Angle measure, and therefore shape

  6. A triangle with perimeter 20 is dilated with \( k = 3 \). Find the new perimeter and the ratio of areas.
    Show the full solution

    Perimeter scales by \( k \): \( 20 \times 3 = 60 \). Area scales by \( k^2 \): the ratio is \( 3^2 = 9 \), so the new area is nine times the old. Perimeter 60; area nine times larger

  7. A dilation maps \( (6, 9) \) to \( (4, 6) \). Find \( k \) and the image of \( (3, 0) \).
    Show the full solution

    Comparing coordinates: \( \dfrac{4}{6} = \dfrac{2}{3} \) and \( \dfrac{6}{9} = \dfrac{2}{3} \). Both give the same factor, confirming a dilation about the origin with \( k = \dfrac{2}{3} \). Image of \( (3, 0) \): \( \left( \dfrac{2}{3}(3), \dfrac{2}{3}(0) \right) = (2, 0) \). \( k = \frac{2}{3} \); the image is \( (2, 0) \)

  8. A square of side 5 is dilated so its area becomes 225. Find \( k \).
    Show the full solution

    The original area is \( 5^2 = 25 \). Area scales by \( k^2 \), so \( 25k^2 = 225 \), giving \( k^2 = 9 \) and \( k = 3 \), taking the positive root since a scale factor is positive. Check: the new side is \( 5 \times 3 = 15 \), and \( 15^2 = 225 \). Correct. The trap is computing \( \dfrac{225}{25} = 9 \) and calling that the scale factor. That ratio is \( k^2 \), not \( k \), and a square root is needed. \( k = 3 \)

  9. Explain why a line not through the center of a dilation maps to a parallel line.
    Show the full solution

    Take a dilation about the origin with factor \( k \), and a line not through the origin. Pick two points on it, \( P(x_1, y_1) \) and \( Q(x_2, y_2) \). Their images are \( P'(kx_1, ky_1) \) and \( Q'(kx_2, ky_2) \). The slope of \( \overleftrightarrow{PQ} \) is \( \dfrac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \). The slope of \( \overleftrightarrow{P'Q'} \) is \( \dfrac{ky_2 - ky_1}{kx_2 - kx_1} = \dfrac{k(y_2 - y_1)}{k(x_2 - x_1)} = \dfrac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \), since the \( k \) cancels. Equal slopes, so the lines are parallel. They are distinct because the original line misses the origin and every point on it moved by a nonzero amount along a ray from the origin. The exception. If the line passes through the center, every point on it stays on the same ray from the center, so the image is the same line rather than a parallel one. The slope computation still gives the same slope; what changes is that the lines coincide instead of being distinct. The scale factor cancels in the slope calculation, so the image has the same slope; it is a different line unless the original passed through the center

  10. A dilation about the origin with \( k = 3 \) is followed by a dilation about the origin with \( k = \frac{1}{2} \). Find the single dilation equivalent to the composition, and test it on a point.
    Show the full solution

    Work out the composition algebraically. A point \( (x, y) \) goes first to \( (3x, 3y) \), then to \( \left( \dfrac{1}{2}(3x), \dfrac{1}{2}(3y) \right) = \left( \dfrac{3x}{2}, \dfrac{3y}{2} \right) \). So the composition is the rule \( (x,y) \to \left( \dfrac{3}{2}x, \dfrac{3}{2}y \right) \), a single dilation about the origin with \( k = \dfrac{3}{2} \). The pattern. The composed scale factor is the product of the two: \( 3 \times \dfrac{1}{2} = \dfrac{3}{2} \). Dilations about the same center compose by multiplying scale factors, which is why the inverse of a factor \( k \) is \( \dfrac{1}{k} \). Test on a point. Take \( (4, 6) \). First dilation: \( (12, 18) \). Second: \( (6, 9) \). Directly by the composed rule: \( \left( \dfrac{3}{2}(4), \dfrac{3}{2}(6) \right) = (6, 9) \). They agree. Note on order. Unlike the compositions of lesson 4.5, these commute: applying \( \dfrac{1}{2} \) first gives \( (2, 3) \) and then \( 3 \) gives \( (6, 9) \), the same point. That is because multiplication of scale factors is commutative, and it holds only when the dilations share a center. A single dilation with \( k = \frac{3}{2} \), since scale factors about the same center multiply

Lesson 8.3 · Unit 8 · G-SRT.2

Same shape, defined precisely

Similar is to a dilation what congruent is to a rigid motion. Two figures are similar when some dilation followed by rigid motions carries one onto the other, and that definition turns into two checkable conditions: corresponding angles congruent and corresponding sides proportional.

The method
  1. Two figures are similar when a dilation followed by a sequence of rigid motions maps one onto the other, written \( \sim \).
  2. Equivalently, corresponding angles are congruent and corresponding sides are proportional.
  3. Both conditions are needed for polygons with more than three sides. A square and a non-square rhombus have proportional sides and are not similar; a square and a non-square rectangle have congruent angles and are not.
  4. The scale factor is the ratio of corresponding sides, image over preimage.
  5. The letters of a similarity statement encode the correspondence, exactly as with congruence.
  6. The ratio of perimeters equals the scale factor.
  7. The ratio of areas equals the scale factor squared.
  8. Congruence is the special case \( k = 1 \), so every pair of congruent figures is similar.

Where students lose marks: using the scale factor for the area ratio. If two similar figures have sides in the ratio \( 2 : 3 \), their areas are in the ratio \( 4 : 9 \). Reporting \( 2 : 3 \) for the areas is the most common error in this unit.

Worked example

The problem. (a) \( ABCD \sim EFGH \) with \( AB = 6 \), \( EF = 9 \), \( BC = 8 \). Find \( FG \) and the scale factor. (b) The perimeter of \( ABCD \) is 30. Find the perimeter of \( EFGH \). (c) The area of \( ABCD \) is 40. Find the area of \( EFGH \). (d) Show that a square and a non-square rhombus are not similar even though their sides are proportional.

Step one: find the scale factor in (a). The correspondence sends \( A \to E \) and \( B \to F \), so \( \overline{AB} \) corresponds to \( \overline{EF} \). \( k = \dfrac{EF}{AB} = \dfrac{9}{6} = \dfrac{3}{2} \). The second figure is larger, so \( k \gt 1 \) is expected.

Step two: find \( FG \). \( \overline{BC} \) corresponds to \( \overline{FG} \), so \( FG = k \cdot BC = \dfrac{3}{2} \times 8 = 12 \). Check by proportion: \( \dfrac{6}{9} = \dfrac{8}{12} \), and cross multiplying gives \( 72 = 72 \). Correct.

Step three: answer (b). Perimeters are in the ratio of the scale factor: \( \dfrac{3}{2} \times 30 = 45 \). The reason: every side of the second figure is \( \dfrac{3}{2} \) times its counterpart, so the sum is too.

Step four: answer (c). Areas are in the ratio of the scale factor squared: \( \left( \dfrac{3}{2} \right)^2 = \dfrac{9}{4} \). So the area of \( EFGH \) is \( \dfrac{9}{4} \times 40 = 90 \).

Step five: sanity check the area answer. The figure got 1.5 times longer in both dimensions, so the area should grow by more than 1.5 times and by less than 3 times. \( \dfrac{90}{40} = 2.25 \), which is \( 1.5^2 \). Consistent. Using the scale factor directly would have given \( 1.5 \times 40 = 60 \), which fails the two-dimensional reasoning.

Step six: set up (d) with concrete figures. Take a square of side 4 and a rhombus of side 4 with angles \( 60^\circ \) and \( 120^\circ \). Every side of each is 4, so corresponding sides are in the ratio \( 4 : 4 = 1 \), proportional with \( k = 1 \).

Step seven: check the angles. The square's angles are all \( 90^\circ \). The rhombus's are \( 60^\circ \), \( 120^\circ \), \( 60^\circ \), \( 120^\circ \). Corresponding angles are not congruent, so the similarity definition fails. Proportional sides alone were not enough.

Step eight: give the matching counterexample and state the rule. For the other direction, take a square of side 4 and a rectangle 3 by 7. All angles in both are \( 90^\circ \), so corresponding angles are congruent. But the side ratios are \( \dfrac{3}{4} \) and \( \dfrac{7}{4} \), which are unequal, so the sides are not proportional and the figures are not similar. The rule: for polygons in general both conditions must be checked. Triangles are the exception, and lesson 8.4 shows why: for triangles, either condition alone implies the other.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What symbol means "is similar to"?
    Show the full solution

    \( \sim \)

  2. Two similar figures have sides in the ratio \( 2 : 5 \). What is the ratio of their perimeters?
    Show the full solution

    \( 2 : 5 \)

  3. What is the ratio of their areas?
    Show the full solution

    Square the scale factor. \( 4 : 25 \)

  4. Are all squares similar?
    Show the full solution

    All angles are right and all sides proportional. Yes

  5. Are all rectangles similar?
    Show the full solution

    A 1 by 2 and a 1 by 5 have unequal side ratios. No

  6. \( \triangle ABC \sim \triangle DEF \) with \( AB = 10 \), \( DE = 15 \), \( AC = 14 \). Find \( DF \).
    Show the full solution

    Scale factor: \( k = \dfrac{15}{10} = \dfrac{3}{2} \). \( \overline{AC} \) corresponds to \( \overline{DF} \), so \( DF = \dfrac{3}{2} \times 14 = 21 \). Check by proportion: \( \dfrac{10}{15} = \dfrac{14}{21} \), and cross multiplying gives \( 210 = 210 \). Correct. \( DF = 21 \)

  7. Two similar triangles have areas 18 and 50. Find the ratio of their sides.
    Show the full solution

    The area ratio is \( \dfrac{18}{50} = \dfrac{9}{25} \). Areas are in the ratio \( k^2 \), so \( k^2 = \dfrac{9}{25} \) and \( k = \dfrac{3}{5} \), taking the positive root. So the sides are in the ratio \( 3 : 5 \). Check: \( \left( \dfrac{3}{5} \right)^2 = \dfrac{9}{25} = \dfrac{18}{50} \). Correct. \( 3 : 5 \)

  8. Two similar polygons have perimeters 24 and 36, and the smaller has area 32. Find the larger area.
    Show the full solution

    Perimeters are in the ratio of the scale factor, so \( k = \dfrac{36}{24} = \dfrac{3}{2} \). Areas are in the ratio \( k^2 = \dfrac{9}{4} \). Larger area: \( \dfrac{9}{4} \times 32 = 72 \). Check: \( \dfrac{72}{32} = 2.25 = \left( \dfrac{3}{2} \right)^2 \). Correct. Note the two different scalings used in one problem: the perimeter gave \( k \) directly, and the area required \( k^2 \). 72

  9. Explain why the area ratio is the square of the scale factor.
    Show the full solution

    A dilation multiplies every length by \( k \), and an area is measured in two dimensions. Take the simplest case, a rectangle with base \( b \) and height \( h \), so its area is \( bh \). After a dilation the base is \( kb \) and the height is \( kh \), so the new area is \( (kb)(kh) = k^2 bh \). Both factors picked up a \( k \), so the product picked up \( k^2 \). For a triangle the same happens: \( \dfrac{1}{2}(kb)(kh) = k^2 \cdot \dfrac{1}{2}bh \). For any region the argument works by approximating it with small rectangles, each of which scales by \( k^2 \), so the total does too. The practical consequence. Doubling the dimensions of a shape quadruples its area, which is why a pizza of twice the diameter feeds four people rather than two. And in three dimensions volume scales by \( k^3 \), which lesson 11.6 takes up. An area involves two length measurements, each scaled by \( k \), so their product scales by \( k^2 \)

  10. A photograph 4 inches by 6 inches is enlarged so its area is 216 square inches. Find the new dimensions and the scale factor, and check the shape is preserved.
    Show the full solution

    Original area. \( 4 \times 6 = 24 \) square inches. Find the scale factor. The area ratio is \( \dfrac{216}{24} = 9 \), and this equals \( k^2 \), so \( k = 3 \). New dimensions. Each length scales by 3: \( 4 \times 3 = 12 \) and \( 6 \times 3 = 18 \) inches. Check the area. \( 12 \times 18 = 216 \). Correct. Check the shape. The original ratio of sides is \( \dfrac{4}{6} = \dfrac{2}{3} \). The new ratio is \( \dfrac{12}{18} = \dfrac{2}{3} \). Equal, so the rectangles are similar and the photograph is not distorted. Why the check matters. An enlargement that changed the side ratio would stretch the image. Preserving the ratio is what makes it a dilation rather than the shear or one-directional stretch of lesson 4.1. A commercial print size of 8 by 12 would also be similar, since \( \dfrac{8}{12} = \dfrac{2}{3} \), but 5 by 7 would not, since \( \dfrac{5}{7} \neq \dfrac{2}{3} \), which is why 4 by 6 photographs are cropped to fit 5 by 7 frames. 12 by 18 inches with \( k = 3 \); the side ratio stays \( \frac{2}{3} \), so the shape is preserved

Lesson 8.4 · Unit 8 · G-SRT.3

Three criteria, and why two angles are enough

Triangles are special: for them, congruent angles force proportional sides and proportional sides force congruent angles. That means one condition suffices, and the AA criterion needs only two angles, making it the most used result in the unit.

The method
  1. AA: if two angles of one triangle are congruent to two angles of another, the triangles are similar.
  2. Two angles suffice because the third is determined by the angle sum.
  3. SSS similarity: if all three pairs of corresponding sides are proportional, the triangles are similar.
  4. SAS similarity: if two pairs of corresponding sides are proportional and the included angles are congruent, the triangles are similar.
  5. AAA was not a congruence criterion for exactly this reason: it gives similarity, which is weaker than congruence.
  6. Write the similarity statement in correspondence order, reading which vertex matched which.
  7. Parallel lines generate AA situations, since a transversal creates congruent corresponding or alternate interior angles.
  8. Once similar, corresponding sides are proportional, which is how a missing length is found.

Where students lose marks: setting up the proportion with sides from the same triangle on top. If \( \triangle ABC \sim \triangle DEF \), the correct proportion is \( \dfrac{AB}{DE} = \dfrac{BC}{EF} \), matching first figure over second in both ratios.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Prove the AA criterion follows from the definition of similarity. (b) In a figure, \( \overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC} \) with \( D \) on \( \overline{AB} \) and \( E \) on \( \overline{AC} \). Prove \( \triangle ADE \sim \triangle ABC \). (c) Using that similarity with \( AD = 4 \), \( AB = 10 \), \( DE = 6 \), find \( BC \). (d) Two triangles have sides 6, 8, 10 and 9, 12, 15. Prove they are similar.

Step one: set up (a). Given: \( \triangle ABC \) and \( \triangle DEF \) with \( \angle A \cong \angle D \) and \( \angle B \cong \angle E \). Prove: \( \triangle ABC \sim \triangle DEF \).

Step two: get the third angle. The angle sum gives \( m\angle C = 180 - m\angle A - m\angle B \) and \( m\angle F = 180 - m\angle D - m\angle E \). The subtracted quantities are equal, so \( \angle C \cong \angle F \). All three angle pairs are congruent.

Step three: build the dilation. Let \( k = \dfrac{DE}{AB} \) and dilate \( \triangle ABC \) about any center by that factor. The image has \( A'B' = k \cdot AB = DE \), and a dilation preserves angles, so the image still has the same three angles. Now the image and \( \triangle DEF \) have two congruent angles and the included side congruent, so they are congruent by ASA. By the definition of congruence there is a sequence of rigid motions taking the image onto \( \triangle DEF \). So a dilation followed by rigid motions maps \( \triangle ABC \) onto \( \triangle DEF \), and by the definition of similarity the triangles are similar.

Step four: prove (b). 1. \( \overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle ADE \cong \angle ABC \). Reason: corresponding angles postulate, with \( \overline{AB} \) as transversal. 3. \( \angle A \cong \angle A \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 4. \( \triangle ADE \sim \triangle ABC \). Reason: AA. The shared angle at \( A \) is what makes this configuration so common: any line parallel to a side cuts off a triangle similar to the whole.

Step five: set up the proportion for (c). From the similarity statement, \( \overline{AD} \) corresponds to \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{DE} \) corresponds to \( \overline{BC} \). So \[ \frac{AD}{AB} = \frac{DE}{BC} \]

Step six: solve (c). \( \dfrac{4}{10} = \dfrac{6}{BC} \), so \( 4 \cdot BC = 60 \) and \( BC = 15 \). Check: the scale factor from the small to the large triangle is \( \dfrac{10}{4} = 2.5 \), and \( 6 \times 2.5 = 15 \). Consistent. Sanity check: \( BC \) should be longer than \( DE \), since the larger triangle contains the smaller. \( 15 \gt 6 \). Correct.

Step seven: test the side ratios in (d). Pair the sides in increasing order, since that is the correspondence that must hold. \( \dfrac{6}{9} = \dfrac{2}{3} \); \( \dfrac{8}{12} = \dfrac{2}{3} \); \( \dfrac{10}{15} = \dfrac{2}{3} \). All three ratios are equal, so the sides are proportional with \( k = \dfrac{3}{2} \) going from the first to the second.

Step eight: conclude (d) and note what follows. By SSS similarity, the two triangles are similar. Both are right triangles, since \( 6^2 + 8^2 = 100 = 10^2 \) and \( 9^2 + 12^2 = 225 = 15^2 \). The first is a 3-4-5 triangle scaled by 2 and the second the same scaled by 3, which is why the ratio came out constant. Their areas are \( \dfrac{1}{2}(6)(8) = 24 \) and \( \dfrac{1}{2}(9)(12) = 54 \), and \( \dfrac{54}{24} = 2.25 = \left( \dfrac{3}{2} \right)^2 \), confirming the area rule of lesson 8.3.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does AA require?
    Show the full solution

    Two pairs of congruent angles

  2. Why is a third angle unnecessary?
    Show the full solution

    The angle sum determines it

  3. Two triangles have sides 3, 4, 5 and 6, 8, 10. Are they similar?
    Show the full solution

    All ratios equal \( \frac{1}{2} \). Yes, by SSS similarity

  4. \( \triangle ABC \sim \triangle DEF \). Write the correct proportion relating \( AB \), \( DE \), \( BC \), \( EF \).
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{AB}{DE} = \dfrac{BC}{EF} \)

  5. Are all equilateral triangles similar?
    Show the full solution

    All angles are \( 60^\circ \), so AA applies. Yes

  6. Two triangles have sides 4, 6 and an included angle of \( 50^\circ \), and sides 10, 15 with an included angle of \( 50^\circ \). Are they similar?
    Show the full solution

    Check the side ratios: \( \dfrac{4}{10} = \dfrac{2}{5} \) and \( \dfrac{6}{15} = \dfrac{2}{5} \). Equal, so those two pairs are proportional. The included angles are both \( 50^\circ \), so they are congruent. Two proportional sides with congruent included angles is SAS similarity. Yes, by SAS similarity

  7. In a triangle, a line parallel to one side cuts the other two. The small triangle has sides 5 and 7, and the corresponding sides of the whole are 15 and \( x \). Find \( x \).
    Show the full solution

    A line parallel to a side creates a triangle similar to the whole, by AA as in the worked example. The scale factor from small to large is \( \dfrac{15}{5} = 3 \). So \( x = 7 \times 3 = 21 \). Check by proportion: \( \dfrac{5}{15} = \dfrac{7}{21} \), and cross multiplying gives \( 105 = 105 \). Correct. \( x = 21 \)

  8. Two triangles have sides 5, 7, 9 and 10, 14, 17. Are they similar?
    Show the full solution

    Test all three ratios, pairing the sides in increasing order. \( \dfrac{5}{10} = \dfrac{1}{2} \). \( \dfrac{7}{14} = \dfrac{1}{2} \). \( \dfrac{9}{17} \approx 0.529 \), which is not \( \dfrac{1}{2} \). The third ratio differs, so the sides are not proportional and SSS similarity does not apply. No. The trap is checking only two ratios. Two matching ratios prove nothing on their own, and the third side would have to be 18 for the triangles to be similar. Not similar; the third ratio fails

  9. Explain why AA works for similarity but AAA fails for congruence.
    Show the full solution

    Angles determine shape and say nothing about size. Knowing three pairs of congruent angles fixes the shape completely: the triangles have the same proportions and differ only by a uniform scaling. That is exactly what similarity asserts, so AA, which gives the third angle free, is a valid similarity criterion. Congruence demands size as well. Two equilateral triangles with sides of 1 and of 100 have all three angle pairs congruent and are clearly not congruent. No angle information can distinguish them, because angles are unchanged by a dilation. The general principle: a criterion must pin down everything the conclusion asserts. Similarity asserts shape, and angles determine shape. Congruence asserts shape and size, so at least one side must appear among the given parts. That is why every congruence criterion contains an S and no similarity criterion needs to. Angles determine shape but not size; similarity claims only shape, while congruence claims size too and therefore needs a side

  10. In \( \triangle ABC \), \( \overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC} \) with \( D \) on \( \overline{AB} \) and \( E \) on \( \overline{AC} \). Given \( AD = 6 \), \( DB = 4 \), \( AE = 9 \), find \( EC \), \( AC \), and the ratio of the areas of \( \triangle ADE \) and \( \triangle ABC \).
    Show the full solution

    Establish the similarity. Since \( \overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC} \), corresponding angles give \( \angle ADE \cong \angle ABC \), and \( \angle A \) is shared. By AA, \( \triangle ADE \sim \triangle ABC \). Find \( AB \). \( AB = AD + DB = 6 + 4 = 10 \). Find the scale factor. From small to large, \( k = \dfrac{AB}{AD} = \dfrac{10}{6} = \dfrac{5}{3} \). Find \( AC \). \( \overline{AE} \) corresponds to \( \overline{AC} \), so \( AC = \dfrac{5}{3} \times 9 = 15 \). Find \( EC \). \( EC = AC - AE = 15 - 9 = 6 \). Check with the proportionality theorem of lesson 8.5. \( \dfrac{AD}{DB} = \dfrac{6}{4} = \dfrac{3}{2} \) and \( \dfrac{AE}{EC} = \dfrac{9}{6} = \dfrac{3}{2} \). Equal, as the theorem requires. Find the area ratio. Areas are in the ratio \( k^2 \). Going from \( \triangle ADE \) to \( \triangle ABC \) the factor is \( \dfrac{5}{3} \), so the area ratio is \( \left( \dfrac{3}{5} \right)^2 = \dfrac{9}{25} \) for small to large. So \( \triangle ADE \) has \( \dfrac{9}{25} \) of the area of \( \triangle ABC \), and the trapezoid \( DBCE \) has the remaining \( \dfrac{16}{25} \). A point worth noticing. The small triangle occupies 36 percent of the area while its sides are 60 percent as long. That gap is the squaring, and it is why a line drawn parallel to a side to cut off "half the triangle" must be placed at \( \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}} \approx 0.707 \) of the way, not halfway. \( EC = 6 \), \( AC = 15 \), and the areas are in the ratio \( 9 : 25 \)

Lesson 8.5 · Unit 8 · G-SRT.4

A parallel line cuts the other two sides proportionally

The configuration from lesson 8.4, a line parallel to one side of a triangle, produces more than similar triangles: it divides the other two sides in the same ratio. The converse is equally useful, since it proves lines parallel from a pair of equal ratios.

The method
  1. The triangle proportionality theorem: a line parallel to one side of a triangle divides the other two sides proportionally.
  2. In symbols, with \( D \) on \( \overline{AB} \) and \( E \) on \( \overline{AC} \) and \( \overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC} \): \( \dfrac{AD}{DB} = \dfrac{AE}{EC} \).
  3. An equivalent form uses the whole sides: \( \dfrac{AD}{AB} = \dfrac{AE}{AC} \), which comes from the similar triangles directly.
  4. Be clear which form you are using, since \( DB \) is a piece and \( AB \) is the whole.
  5. The converse: if the two sides are divided proportionally, the line is parallel to the third side.
  6. The three-parallel-lines theorem: three parallel lines cut two transversals proportionally.
  7. An angle bisector of a triangle divides the opposite side in the ratio of the adjacent sides.
  8. Check an answer by confirming both ratios reduce to the same value.

Where students lose marks: mixing the two forms of the proportion. \( \dfrac{AD}{DB} = \dfrac{AE}{AC} \) is wrong: the left side compares piece to piece and the right compares piece to whole. Both ratios must use the same kind of comparison.

Worked example

The problem. In \( \triangle ABC \), \( \overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC} \) with \( D \) on \( \overline{AB} \) and \( E \) on \( \overline{AC} \). (a) Prove the theorem. (b) Given \( AD = 4 \), \( DB = 6 \), \( AE = 6 \), find \( EC \). (c) Given \( AD = 5 \), \( AB = 12 \), \( AE = 7.5 \), find \( AC \). (d) Given \( AD = 8 \), \( DB = 12 \), \( AE = 10 \), \( EC = 15 \), decide whether \( \overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC} \).

Step one: prove (a) from similarity. 1. \( \overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC} \). Reason: given. 2. \( \angle ADE \cong \angle ABC \). Reason: corresponding angles postulate. 3. \( \angle A \cong \angle A \). Reason: reflexive property of congruence. 4. \( \triangle ADE \sim \triangle ABC \). Reason: AA. 5. \( \dfrac{AD}{AB} = \dfrac{AE}{AC} \). Reason: corresponding sides of similar triangles are proportional.

Step two: convert to the piece-to-piece form. Write \( AB = AD + DB \) and \( AC = AE + EC \) by segment addition. Then line 5 becomes \( \dfrac{AD}{AD + DB} = \dfrac{AE}{AE + EC} \). Cross multiplying: \( AD(AE + EC) = AE(AD + DB) \), so \( AD \cdot AE + AD \cdot EC = AE \cdot AD + AE \cdot DB \). The \( AD \cdot AE \) terms cancel, leaving \( AD \cdot EC = AE \cdot DB \), which is exactly \( \dfrac{AD}{DB} = \dfrac{AE}{EC} \). So the two forms are equivalent, which is worth knowing since a problem may supply either the pieces or the wholes.

Step three: solve (b). The given are pieces, so use the piece form: \( \dfrac{4}{6} = \dfrac{6}{EC} \). Cross multiplying: \( 4 \cdot EC = 36 \), so \( EC = 9 \).

Step four: check (b). \( \dfrac{4}{6} = \dfrac{2}{3} \) and \( \dfrac{6}{9} = \dfrac{2}{3} \). Equal. Cross-checking with the whole form: \( AB = 10 \) and \( AC = 15 \), so \( \dfrac{4}{10} = 0.4 \) and \( \dfrac{6}{15} = 0.4 \). Also equal. Both forms agree.

Step five: solve (c). Here \( AB \) is a whole, so use the whole form: \( \dfrac{AD}{AB} = \dfrac{AE}{AC} \), that is \( \dfrac{5}{12} = \dfrac{7.5}{AC} \). Cross multiplying: \( 5 \cdot AC = 90 \), so \( AC = 18 \).

Step six: check (c) both ways. \( \dfrac{5}{12} \approx 0.417 \) and \( \dfrac{7.5}{18} \approx 0.417 \). Equal. In piece form: \( DB = 12 - 5 = 7 \) and \( EC = 18 - 7.5 = 10.5 \), giving \( \dfrac{5}{7} \approx 0.714 \) and \( \dfrac{7.5}{10.5} \approx 0.714 \). Also equal.

Step seven: answer (d) with the converse. Test whether the two sides are divided proportionally: \( \dfrac{AD}{DB} = \dfrac{8}{12} = \dfrac{2}{3} \). \( \dfrac{AE}{EC} = \dfrac{10}{15} = \dfrac{2}{3} \). The ratios are equal, so by the converse of the triangle proportionality theorem, \( \overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC} \).

Step eight: note the direction of the reasoning in (d). Parts (b) and (c) assumed parallelism and produced a length; part (d) assumed lengths and produced parallelism. Those are the theorem and its converse, and the reason column must say which is being used, exactly as in unit 3. A proof concluding parallelism that cites the forward theorem would be circular, which is the second of the four errors the course names.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. State the triangle proportionality theorem.
    Show the full solution

    A line parallel to one side of a triangle divides the other two proportionally

  2. If \( \dfrac{AD}{DB} = \dfrac{3}{4} \) and \( AE = 9 \), find \( EC \).
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{3}{4} = \dfrac{9}{EC} \), so \( 3 \cdot EC = 36 \). \( EC = 12 \)

  3. What does the converse prove?
    Show the full solution

    That the line is parallel to the third side

  4. \( AD = 3 \), \( DB = 5 \), \( AE = 6 \), \( EC = 10 \). Is \( \overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC} \)?
    Show the full solution

    \( \frac{3}{5} = \frac{6}{10} \). Yes

  5. \( AD = 4 \), \( DB = 5 \), \( AE = 8 \), \( EC = 9 \). Is \( \overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC} \)?
    Show the full solution

    \( \frac{4}{5} = 0.8 \) but \( \frac{8}{9} \approx 0.889 \). No

  6. In \( \triangle ABC \) with \( \overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC} \), \( AD = 2x \), \( DB = 12 \), \( AE = x + 3 \), \( EC = 9 \). Find \( x \).
    Show the full solution

    By the theorem, \( \dfrac{AD}{DB} = \dfrac{AE}{EC} \): \( \dfrac{2x}{12} = \dfrac{x + 3}{9} \). Cross multiplying: \( 18x = 12(x + 3) = 12x + 36 \), so \( 6x = 36 \) and \( x = 6 \). Check: \( AD = 12 \), \( AE = 9 \). Then \( \dfrac{12}{12} = 1 \) and \( \dfrac{9}{9} = 1 \). Equal. \( x = 6 \)

  7. Three parallel lines cut one transversal into segments of 6 and 9. They cut a second transversal so the first segment is 8. Find the second.
    Show the full solution

    By the three-parallel-lines theorem, the transversals are cut proportionally: \( \dfrac{6}{9} = \dfrac{8}{x} \). Cross multiplying: \( 6x = 72 \), so \( x = 12 \). Check: \( \dfrac{6}{9} = \dfrac{2}{3} \) and \( \dfrac{8}{12} = \dfrac{2}{3} \). Equal. This theorem is the reason ruled paper can be used to divide a segment into equal parts: evenly spaced parallel lines cut any transversal into equal pieces. 12

  8. An angle bisector from \( A \) meets \( \overline{BC} \) at \( D \), with \( AB = 8 \), \( AC = 12 \), \( BD = 6 \). Find \( DC \).
    Show the full solution

    The angle bisector of a triangle divides the opposite side in the ratio of the adjacent sides: \( \dfrac{BD}{DC} = \dfrac{AB}{AC} \). Substituting: \( \dfrac{6}{DC} = \dfrac{8}{12} = \dfrac{2}{3} \). Cross multiplying: \( 2 \cdot DC = 18 \), so \( DC = 9 \). Check: \( \dfrac{6}{9} = \dfrac{2}{3} \) and \( \dfrac{8}{12} = \dfrac{2}{3} \). Equal. Note that \( BC = 6 + 9 = 15 \), and checking the triangle inequality: \( 8 + 12 = 20 \gt 15 \). Valid. \( DC = 9 \)

  9. Explain why the piece-to-piece and whole-to-whole forms of the proportion are equivalent.
    Show the full solution

    Start from the whole form, which comes directly from the similar triangles: \( \dfrac{AD}{AB} = \dfrac{AE}{AC} \). Substitute \( AB = AD + DB \) and \( AC = AE + EC \): \( \dfrac{AD}{AD + DB} = \dfrac{AE}{AE + EC} \). Cross multiply: \( AD(AE + EC) = AE(AD + DB) \), which expands to \( AD \cdot AE + AD \cdot EC = AE \cdot AD + AE \cdot DB \). The term \( AD \cdot AE \) appears on both sides and cancels, leaving \( AD \cdot EC = AE \cdot DB \), which is the cross-multiplied form of \( \dfrac{AD}{DB} = \dfrac{AE}{EC} \). Every step is reversible, so the two forms imply each other. The practical point. A problem supplies whichever lengths it supplies, and knowing both forms means no conversion is needed. What must not happen is mixing them: \( \dfrac{AD}{DB} = \dfrac{AE}{AC} \) compares a piece to a piece on one side and a piece to a whole on the other, and it is false. Substituting the segment sums and canceling the common term converts one into the other, and every step reverses

  10. In \( \triangle ABC \), \( \overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC} \) with \( AD = x \), \( DB = x + 4 \), \( AE = x - 1 \), \( EC = x + 4 \). Find \( x \) and all four lengths.
    Show the full solution

    Set up. By the theorem, \( \dfrac{AD}{DB} = \dfrac{AE}{EC} \), that is \( \dfrac{x}{x + 4} = \dfrac{x - 1}{x + 4} \). Notice the denominators. They are identical, so the fractions are equal exactly when the numerators are: \( x = x - 1 \), which gives \( 0 = -1 \), a contradiction. Conclusion: no solution exists. There is no value of \( x \) making this configuration possible with \( \overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC} \). What this means geometrically. The two lower pieces \( DB \) and \( EC \) are equal, both \( x + 4 \). For the proportion to hold, the two upper pieces would also have to be equal, so \( AD = AE \). The problem gives them as \( x \) and \( x - 1 \), which differ by 1 for every \( x \). The data is inconsistent with the parallelism. How to fix it. If \( AE \) were \( x \) instead of \( x - 1 \), the proportion would hold for every positive \( x \), and the figure would be an isosceles configuration with the parallel line cutting both sides at the same ratio. The lesson. A proportion that reduces to a false numerical statement means the given data is impossible, not that the algebra went wrong. Recognizing that is worth more than forcing an answer. No solution; equal denominators force equal numerators, and \( x \) cannot equal \( x - 1 \)

Lesson 8.6 · Unit 8 · G-SRT.4, G-SRT.5

One altitude, three similar triangles, and a proof of Pythagoras

Drop the altitude to the hypotenuse of a right triangle and the figure splits into two triangles, each similar to the original and to each other. Three proportions follow, and the Pythagorean theorem falls out of two of them.

The method
  1. The altitude to the hypotenuse creates two triangles similar to the original and to each other.
  2. The similarity follows from AA: each small triangle shares an acute angle with the original and has a right angle.
  3. The geometric mean of \( a \) and \( b \) is \( \sqrt{ab} \), equivalently the \( x \) satisfying \( \dfrac{a}{x} = \dfrac{x}{b} \).
  4. The altitude is the geometric mean of the two hypotenuse segments: \( h = \sqrt{pq} \).
  5. Each leg is the geometric mean of the whole hypotenuse and the segment adjacent to it: \( a = \sqrt{pc} \) and \( b = \sqrt{qc} \).
  6. Squaring the leg relationships and adding gives the Pythagorean theorem.
  7. Identify which segment is adjacent to which leg before applying the leg rule, since swapping them is the usual error.
  8. Check an answer with the Pythagorean theorem, which must hold in all three triangles.

Where students lose marks: using the altitude rule where the leg rule belongs. The altitude relates to the two segments; a leg relates to the whole hypotenuse and its own adjacent segment. Sketching and labeling before substituting prevents it.

Worked example

The problem. A right triangle has hypotenuse 25, divided by the altitude into segments of 9 and 16. (a) Find the altitude. (b) Find both legs. (c) Verify with the Pythagorean theorem. (d) Derive the Pythagorean theorem from the leg relationships.

Step one: label the figure. Let the hypotenuse be \( c = 25 \), the segment adjacent to leg \( a \) be \( p = 9 \), and the segment adjacent to leg \( b \) be \( q = 16 \). The altitude to the hypotenuse is \( h \). Check: \( p + q = 9 + 16 = 25 = c \). The segments sum to the hypotenuse, as they must.

Step two: apply the altitude rule for (a). The altitude is the geometric mean of the two segments: \( h = \sqrt{pq} = \sqrt{9 \times 16} = \sqrt{144} = 12 \).

Step three: apply the leg rule for the first leg. Leg \( a \) is the geometric mean of the whole hypotenuse and its adjacent segment \( p \): \( a = \sqrt{pc} = \sqrt{9 \times 25} = \sqrt{225} = 15 \).

Step four: apply it for the second leg. \( b = \sqrt{qc} = \sqrt{16 \times 25} = \sqrt{400} = 20 \).

Step five: verify (c) in the whole triangle. \( a^2 + b^2 = 15^2 + 20^2 = 225 + 400 = 625 \), and \( c^2 = 25^2 = 625 \). Equal. The triangle is a 3-4-5 scaled by 5, which explains why every number came out whole.

Step six: verify in the two small triangles. The small triangle with legs \( p = 9 \) and \( h = 12 \) should have hypotenuse \( a \): \( 9^2 + 12^2 = 81 + 144 = 225 = 15^2 \). Correct. The other with legs \( q = 16 \) and \( h = 12 \) should have hypotenuse \( b \): \( 16^2 + 12^2 = 256 + 144 = 400 = 20^2 \). Correct. All three triangles check out, which is the strongest possible confirmation.

Step seven: begin (d). Square both leg relationships: \( a^2 = pc \) and \( b^2 = qc \).

Step eight: add them and finish. \( a^2 + b^2 = pc + qc = c(p + q) \). But \( p + q = c \), since the two segments make up the whole hypotenuse. So \[ a^2 + b^2 = c \cdot c = c^2 \] That is the Pythagorean theorem, derived entirely from the similarity of the three triangles. It is one of the shortest proofs of the theorem, and it explains why the theorem belongs to the similarity unit as much as to the right-triangle unit. Lesson 9.1 states it formally and uses it.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Find the geometric mean of 4 and 9.
    Show the full solution

    \( \sqrt{36} \). 6

  2. Find the geometric mean of 3 and 27.
    Show the full solution

    \( \sqrt{81} \). 9

  3. The altitude to the hypotenuse divides it into 4 and 9. Find the altitude.
    Show the full solution

    \( \sqrt{4 \times 9} \). 6

  4. How many triangles are similar in this configuration?
    Show the full solution

    Three: the original and the two small ones

  5. A leg is the geometric mean of which two lengths?
    Show the full solution

    The whole hypotenuse and the segment adjacent to that leg

  6. The hypotenuse is 20, divided into 4 and 16. Find the altitude and both legs.
    Show the full solution

    Altitude: \( h = \sqrt{4 \times 16} = \sqrt{64} = 8 \). Leg adjacent to the 4: \( \sqrt{4 \times 20} = \sqrt{80} = 4\sqrt{5} \approx 8.94 \). Leg adjacent to the 16: \( \sqrt{16 \times 20} = \sqrt{320} = 8\sqrt{5} \approx 17.89 \). Check with the Pythagorean theorem: \( 80 + 320 = 400 = 20^2 \). Correct. Check a small triangle: \( 4^2 + 8^2 = 16 + 64 = 80 = (4\sqrt{5})^2 \). Correct. Altitude 8; legs \( 4\sqrt{5} \) and \( 8\sqrt{5} \)

  7. A right triangle has legs 9 and 12. Find the altitude to the hypotenuse.
    Show the full solution

    First find the hypotenuse: \( \sqrt{81 + 144} = \sqrt{225} = 15 \). Method one, by area. The area is \( \dfrac{1}{2}(9)(12) = 54 \), computed using the legs as base and height. Using the hypotenuse as the base, the area is \( \dfrac{1}{2}(15)(h) \). Setting them equal: \( \dfrac{15h}{2} = 54 \), so \( h = \dfrac{108}{15} = 7.2 \). Method two, by the segments. Each leg is the geometric mean of the hypotenuse and its adjacent segment, so \( 9^2 = 15p \) gives \( p = 5.4 \), and \( 12^2 = 15q \) gives \( q = 9.6 \). Check: \( 5.4 + 9.6 = 15 \). Correct. Then \( h = \sqrt{pq} = \sqrt{5.4 \times 9.6} = \sqrt{51.84} = 7.2 \). Agrees. 7.2

  8. The altitude to the hypotenuse is 6 and one segment is 4. Find the other segment and the hypotenuse.
    Show the full solution

    The altitude is the geometric mean of the segments: \( 6 = \sqrt{4q} \), so \( 36 = 4q \) and \( q = 9 \). The hypotenuse is the sum: \( 4 + 9 = 13 \). Check by finding the legs: \( \sqrt{4 \times 13} = \sqrt{52} = 2\sqrt{13} \) and \( \sqrt{9 \times 13} = \sqrt{117} = 3\sqrt{13} \). Then \( 52 + 117 = 169 = 13^2 \). Correct. Other segment 9, hypotenuse 13

  9. Prove that the two small triangles are similar to the original.
    Show the full solution

    Let \( \triangle ABC \) have a right angle at \( C \), and let \( \overline{CD} \) be the altitude to hypotenuse \( \overline{AB} \), with \( D \) on \( \overline{AB} \). \( \triangle ACD \) and \( \triangle ABC \). They share \( \angle A \), so that is one congruent pair by the reflexive property. \( \angle ADC \) is a right angle, since \( \overline{CD} \) is an altitude and therefore perpendicular to \( \overline{AB} \). And \( \angle ACB \) is a right angle by hypothesis. Both are right angles, so they are congruent by the right angle congruence theorem. Two pairs of congruent angles gives \( \triangle ACD \sim \triangle ABC \) by AA. \( \triangle CBD \) and \( \triangle ABC \). They share \( \angle B \), and \( \angle CDB \) and \( \angle ACB \) are both right angles. By AA, \( \triangle CBD \sim \triangle ABC \). The two small ones. Each is similar to \( \triangle ABC \), so by the transitivity of similarity they are similar to each other: \( \triangle ACD \sim \triangle CBD \). The correspondence worth noting. In the similarity \( \triangle ACD \sim \triangle ABC \), the vertex \( A \) matches \( A \), \( C \) matches \( B \), and \( D \) matches \( C \). Writing the letters in that order is what makes the resulting proportions come out correctly, and it is where most errors in this configuration occur. Proved by AA twice, then transitivity

  10. A right triangle has hypotenuse 34 with one segment 16 units from the altitude's foot. Find every length in the figure and verify three ways.
    Show the full solution

    Segments. One is 16, so the other is \( 34 - 16 = 18 \). Altitude. \( h = \sqrt{16 \times 18} = \sqrt{288} = 12\sqrt{2} \approx 16.97 \). Legs. Adjacent to the 16: \( \sqrt{16 \times 34} = \sqrt{544} = 4\sqrt{34} \approx 23.32 \). Adjacent to the 18: \( \sqrt{18 \times 34} = \sqrt{612} = 6\sqrt{17} \approx 24.74 \). Verification one, the whole triangle. \( 544 + 612 = 1156 \), and \( 34^2 = 1156 \). Correct. Verification two, the small triangle on the 16. \( 16^2 + (12\sqrt{2})^2 = 256 + 288 = 544 \), which is the square of that leg. Correct. Verification three, the small triangle on the 18. \( 18^2 + 288 = 324 + 288 = 612 \), the square of the other leg. Correct. A fourth check, by area. Using the legs: \( \dfrac{1}{2}\sqrt{544}\sqrt{612} = \dfrac{1}{2}\sqrt{332928} = \dfrac{1}{2}(577.0) \approx 288.5 \). Using the hypotenuse and altitude: \( \dfrac{1}{2}(34)(12\sqrt{2}) = 17 \times 16.97 \approx 288.5 \). Agrees. Sanity check on the shape. The two segments 16 and 18 are nearly equal, so the altitude falls near the middle of the hypotenuse and the triangle is close to isosceles. Correspondingly the two legs, about 23.3 and 24.7, are close together. Consistent. Segments 16 and 18, altitude \( 12\sqrt{2} \), legs \( 4\sqrt{34} \) and \( 6\sqrt{17} \)

Lesson 8.7 · Unit 8 · G-SRT.5

Measuring what cannot be reached

Similarity is the tool that makes a tree's height computable from a shadow and a scale model informative about a building. Every such problem has the same structure: identify the two similar triangles, match corresponding parts, and set up one proportion.

The method
  1. Identify the two triangles and prove them similar, usually by AA from a shared angle and a pair of right angles.
  2. Shadows work because the sun's rays are effectively parallel, so the angle of elevation is the same for both objects.
  3. Mirror problems work because the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection, creating a second pair of congruent angles.
  4. Draw and label the diagram before writing a proportion, marking which lengths are known.
  5. Set up the proportion with corresponding parts in matching positions, first figure over second in both ratios.
  6. A scale drawing states its scale as a ratio, and the same proportion method applies.
  7. Check the answer against the situation, since a tree of 4 inches or 400 feet signals an inverted proportion.
  8. Answer in a sentence with units.

Where students lose marks: inverting the proportion. Matching a small object's height with a large object's shadow gives an answer that is wrong by a large factor and usually absurd. The sanity check is whether the answer's size is plausible.

Worked example

The problem. (a) A person 6 feet tall casts a shadow 4 feet long. At the same moment a tree casts a shadow 30 feet long. Find the tree's height. (b) A mirror is placed on the ground 12 feet from a flagpole. A person whose eyes are 5 feet above the ground stands 3 feet from the mirror and sees the top of the pole. Find the pole's height. (c) A scale model uses 1 inch for 8 feet. A model room is 2.5 inches long. Find the real length.

Step one: establish the similarity in (a). The person and their shadow form a right triangle; the tree and its shadow form another. Both have a right angle where the object meets the ground. The sun's rays are parallel, so the angle of elevation is the same in both triangles. Two pairs of congruent angles gives similarity by AA.

Step two: set up the proportion. Corresponding parts are height with height and shadow with shadow: \[ \frac{\text{person height}}{\text{person shadow}} = \frac{\text{tree height}}{\text{tree shadow}} \] \[ \frac{6}{4} = \frac{h}{30} \]

Step three: solve and check (a). Cross multiplying: \( 4h = 180 \), so \( h = 45 \). The tree is 45 feet tall. Sanity check: the tree's shadow is 7.5 times the person's, so the tree should be 7.5 times as tall as the person, and \( 6 \times 7.5 = 45 \). Consistent, and 45 feet is a plausible tree.

Step four: establish the similarity in (b). Light reflects off the mirror so that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. Those are the angles at the mirror in the two triangles, so they are congruent. Both the person and the flagpole stand perpendicular to the ground, giving a pair of right angles. Two pairs of congruent angles gives similarity by AA.

Step five: set up and solve (b). Corresponding parts are eye height with pole height and distance-to-mirror with distance-to-mirror: \[ \frac{5}{3} = \frac{h}{12} \] Cross multiplying: \( 3h = 60 \), so \( h = 20 \). The flagpole is 20 feet tall.

Step six: check (b). The pole is 4 times as far from the mirror as the person, so it should be 4 times as tall as the person's eye height: \( 5 \times 4 = 20 \). Consistent, and 20 feet is plausible for a flagpole.

Step seven: answer (c). The scale gives the proportion \( \dfrac{1 \text{ in}}{8 \text{ ft}} = \dfrac{2.5 \text{ in}}{x \text{ ft}} \). Cross multiplying: \( x = 8 \times 2.5 = 20 \). The real room is 20 feet long.

Step eight: note the general pattern and the inversion trap. All three problems used one proportion after establishing similarity, and in each case the check was the same: compare how many times larger one known quantity is and confirm the answer scales by that factor. The inversion trap in (a) would be writing \( \dfrac{6}{4} = \dfrac{30}{h} \), giving \( h = 20 \) feet. That is not absurd on its face, which makes it dangerous, but the ratio check catches it: a tree with a shadow 7.5 times longer cannot be shorter than 7.5 times the person's height. Always identify which quantities correspond before writing the fractions.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Why are shadow triangles similar?
    Show the full solution

    The sun's rays are parallel, so the angles of elevation are equal, and both objects are perpendicular to the ground

  2. A 5 ft person casts a 2 ft shadow. A pole casts a 10 ft shadow. Find the pole's height.
    Show the full solution

    \( \frac{5}{2} = \frac{h}{10} \). 25 ft

  3. A scale is 1 : 50. A model is 6 cm long. Find the real length.
    Show the full solution

    \( 6 \times 50 \). 300 cm, or 3 m

  4. Two similar triangles have a scale factor of 4. A side of 7 corresponds to what?
    Show the full solution

    28

  5. What principle makes mirror problems work?
    Show the full solution

    The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection

  6. A 4 ft stick casts a 6 ft shadow while a building casts a 96 ft shadow. Find the building's height.
    Show the full solution

    The triangles are similar by AA, so \( \dfrac{4}{6} = \dfrac{h}{96} \). Cross multiplying: \( 6h = 384 \), so \( h = 64 \). Check: the building's shadow is 16 times the stick's, so the building should be 16 times as tall: \( 4 \times 16 = 64 \). Consistent, and 64 feet is plausible for a building. 64 feet

  7. A mirror lies 20 ft from a tower. A person with eyes 5.5 ft high stands 4 ft from the mirror and sees the top. Find the tower's height.
    Show the full solution

    The triangles are similar by AA, using the equal incidence and reflection angles and the two right angles at the ground. \( \dfrac{5.5}{4} = \dfrac{h}{20} \). Cross multiplying: \( 4h = 110 \), so \( h = 27.5 \). Check: the tower is 5 times as far from the mirror as the person, so it should be 5 times the eye height: \( 5.5 \times 5 = 27.5 \). Consistent. 27.5 feet

  8. A map scale is 1 inch to 25 miles. Two cities are 3.6 inches apart on the map. Find the real distance, and find the map distance for cities 140 miles apart.
    Show the full solution

    First part. \( \dfrac{1}{25} = \dfrac{3.6}{d} \), so \( d = 25 \times 3.6 = 90 \) miles. Second part. \( \dfrac{1}{25} = \dfrac{m}{140} \), so \( 25m = 140 \) and \( m = 5.6 \) inches. Check both against the scale: 90 miles at 25 miles per inch is \( \dfrac{90}{25} = 3.6 \) inches. Correct. And 5.6 inches at 25 miles per inch is \( 5.6 \times 25 = 140 \) miles. Correct. 90 miles; 5.6 inches

  9. Explain why an inverted proportion often produces a plausible-looking wrong answer, and how to catch it.
    Show the full solution

    An inverted proportion multiplies by the reciprocal of the correct factor, so the error scales the answer rather than producing nonsense. In the worked example the correct tree height was 45 feet and the inverted version gave 20 feet. Both are possible tree heights, so the answer does not announce itself as wrong. The reliable catch is a ratio check performed before or after the algebra. Ask how many times larger one known quantity is, then confirm the answer is larger by the same factor. The tree's shadow is \( \dfrac{30}{4} = 7.5 \) times the person's, so the tree must be 7.5 times the person's height, which is 45 rather than 20. A second habit that prevents it entirely: label the proportion in words before substituting numbers. Writing \( \dfrac{\text{small height}}{\text{small shadow}} = \dfrac{\text{large height}}{\text{large shadow}} \) makes the correspondence explicit, and substituting into a labeled equation is much harder to get backward than assembling four numbers into two fractions. Inversion scales the answer by the reciprocal, which usually still looks reasonable; the fix is a ratio check or writing the proportion in words first

  10. A model of a building uses a scale of 1 : 200. The model has a floor area of 0.5 square meters and a volume of 0.1 cubic meters. Find the real floor area and volume.
    Show the full solution

    The scale factor. Lengths scale by \( k = 200 \). Area. Areas scale by \( k^2 = 200^2 = 40{,}000 \). Real floor area: \( 0.5 \times 40{,}000 = 20{,}000 \) square meters. Volume. Volumes scale by \( k^3 = 200^3 = 8{,}000{,}000 \). Real volume: \( 0.1 \times 8{,}000{,}000 = 800{,}000 \) cubic meters. Sanity check. A floor area of 20,000 square meters is about 2 hectares, large but plausible for a major building's total floor area. A volume of 800,000 cubic meters corresponds to a building roughly 100 by 100 meters in plan and 80 meters tall, which is consistent. The point of the problem. Using \( k \) rather than \( k^2 \) for the area would give \( 0.5 \times 200 = 100 \) square meters, which is the size of an apartment rather than a building. Using \( k \) for the volume would give 20 cubic meters, smaller than a single room. The errors are not subtle once the answer is checked against reality, which is why the sanity check is worth the ten seconds. The three scalings. Length by \( k \), area by \( k^2 \), volume by \( k^3 \). Lesson 11.6 develops this fully, including why it explains such things as why large animals have proportionally thicker legs. Floor area 20,000 square meters; volume 800,000 cubic meters

Unit 8 mixed review · 10 problems · all topics

Unit 8: Similarity

Setting up the proportion with corresponding parts in matching positions is most of the work. Check that each ratio compares the same two triangles in the same order.

  1. Simplify the ratio \( 12 : 18 \).
    Show the full solution

    \( 2 : 3 \)

  2. Solve \( \dfrac{x}{6} = \dfrac{10}{15} \).
    Show the full solution

    \( 15x = 60 \). 4

  3. A figure is dilated by a scale factor of 3. By what factor does its area change?
    Show the full solution

    9

  4. Which criterion proves similarity from two pairs of congruent angles?
    Show the full solution

    AA

  5. Similar triangles have sides 6, 8, 10 and 9, 12, \( x \). Find \( x \).
    Show the full solution

    The scale factor is \( \dfrac{9}{6} = \dfrac{3}{2} \), so \( x = \dfrac{3}{2}(10) \). 15

  6. In \( \triangle ABC \), \( \overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC} \) with \( AD = 4 \), \( DB = 6 \) and \( AE = 6 \). Find \( EC \).
    Show the full solution

    By the triangle proportionality theorem, a line parallel to one side divides the other two proportionally: \( \dfrac{AD}{DB} = \dfrac{AE}{EC} \), so \( \dfrac{4}{6} = \dfrac{6}{EC} \). Cross multiplying: \( 4 \cdot EC = 36 \), so \( EC = 9 \). Check: \( \dfrac{4}{6} = \dfrac{2}{3} \) and \( \dfrac{6}{9} = \dfrac{2}{3} \). Equal. Correct. 9

  7. The altitude to the hypotenuse of a right triangle divides it into segments of 4 and 9. Find the altitude and both legs.
    Show the full solution

    The altitude is the geometric mean of the two segments: \( h = \sqrt{4 \times 9} = \sqrt{36} = 6 \). The hypotenuse is \( 4 + 9 = 13 \). Each leg is the geometric mean of the whole hypotenuse and the segment adjacent to it: \( \sqrt{4 \times 13} = \sqrt{52} = 2\sqrt{13} \approx 7.21 \). \( \sqrt{9 \times 13} = \sqrt{117} = 3\sqrt{13} \approx 10.82 \). Check with the Pythagorean theorem: \( 52 + 117 = 169 = 13^2 \). Correct. Altitude 6; legs \( 2\sqrt{13} \) and \( 3\sqrt{13} \)

  8. A person 6 feet tall casts a 4-foot shadow while a tree casts a 22-foot shadow at the same moment. Find the tree's height.
    Show the full solution

    The sun's rays arrive at the same angle for both, and both stand vertically, so the two right triangles are similar by AA. \( \dfrac{6}{4} = \dfrac{h}{22} \), so \( 4h = 132 \) and \( h = 33 \) feet. Check the ratio: the shadow is two thirds of the height in the person's case, and \( \dfrac{22}{33} = \dfrac{2}{3} \). Consistent. 33 feet

  9. Explain why two pairs of congruent angles are enough to prove similarity.
    Show the full solution

    The angles of a triangle sum to \( 180^\circ \). If two pairs of angles are congruent, the third pair is forced: each third angle equals \( 180 \) minus the same two measures, so the third angles are congruent too. AA is really AAA with the last pair free. Why congruent angles force proportional sides. Given \( \triangle ABC \) and \( \triangle DEF \) with all three angle pairs congruent, dilate \( \triangle ABC \) about any center by the factor \( \dfrac{DE}{AB} \). A dilation preserves angle measures and multiplies every length by the scale factor, so the image has the same angles as \( \triangle ABC \) and a side congruent to \( \overline{DE} \). The image and \( \triangle DEF \) now share two angles and the included side, so they are congruent by ASA. A dilation followed by rigid motions therefore carries \( \triangle ABC \) onto \( \triangle DEF \), which is the definition of similarity. Why this is special to triangles. Equal angles do not force similarity in other polygons. A square and a non-square rectangle have four right angles each but are not similar. A triangle is rigid in a way other polygons are not: three angles determine its shape completely, leaving only size free. Practical consequence. AA is the criterion used most often, because angles are usually easier to obtain than lengths. Parallel lines supply congruent angles through the theorems of unit 3, vertical angles supply them for free, and a shared angle counts as a pair by the reflexive property. The third pair follows from the angle sum, and a dilation then reduces the case to ASA congruence

  10. Two similar triangles have a scale factor of \( \dfrac{5}{3} \). The smaller has perimeter 24 and area 30. Find the larger triangle's perimeter and area, and state the general rule.
    Show the full solution

    The perimeter. Perimeter is a length, so it scales by the same factor as any side: \( 24 \times \dfrac{5}{3} = 40 \). The area. Area is two-dimensional, so it scales by the square of the factor: \( 30 \times \left( \dfrac{5}{3} \right)^2 = 30 \times \dfrac{25}{9} = \dfrac{750}{9} \approx 83.33 \). Verify the area result with a concrete case. Take a triangle with base 8 and height \( \dfrac{15}{2} \), giving perimeter and area consistent with the numbers above in a scaled family. Scaling base and height each by \( \dfrac{5}{3} \) multiplies their product, and therefore the area, by \( \dfrac{25}{9} \). The factor appears twice because both dimensions grow. The general rule. For similar figures with scale factor \( k \): every length, including perimeter, altitude, median and radius, scales by \( k \); every area, including surface area, scales by \( k^2 \); every volume scales by \( k^3 \). Reading the rule backward. If two similar figures have areas in the ratio \( 25 : 9 \), the scale factor is \( \sqrt{\dfrac{25}{9}} = \dfrac{5}{3} \), so a length ratio is recovered by taking a square root. This is the direction most often tested and most often mishandled. The common error. Multiplying the area by \( \dfrac{5}{3} \) instead of \( \dfrac{25}{9} \) gives 50, well short of the correct 83.33. The check is that an area ratio must always be more extreme than the length ratio when the factor exceeds 1. Perimeter 40, area \( \frac{750}{9} \approx 83.33 \); lengths scale by \( k \) and areas by \( k^2 \)

Lesson 9.1 · Unit 9 · G-SRT.8

The relationship, and the test it becomes when reversed

The theorem itself is familiar. What this lesson adds is its converse, which turns the relationship into a test: given three lengths, it decides not only whether the triangle is right but whether it is acute or obtuse.

The method
  1. The Pythagorean theorem: in a right triangle with legs \( a \) and \( b \) and hypotenuse \( c \), \( a^2 + b^2 = c^2 \).
  2. It was proved in lesson 8.6 from the similarity created by the altitude to the hypotenuse.
  3. The hypotenuse must be identified first, and it is always the longest side, opposite the right angle.
  4. The converse: if \( a^2 + b^2 = c^2 \) with \( c \) the longest side, the triangle is right.
  5. If \( a^2 + b^2 \gt c^2 \), the triangle is acute.
  6. If \( a^2 + b^2 \lt c^2 \), the triangle is obtuse.
  7. Check the triangle inequality first, since three lengths that cannot form a triangle cannot be classified.
  8. Common triples worth recognizing: 3-4-5, 5-12-13, 8-15-17, 7-24-25, and all their multiples.

Where students lose marks: treating a leg as the hypotenuse. If the sides are 6, 8 and 10, then 10 is the hypotenuse and the equation is \( 6^2 + 8^2 = 10^2 \). Writing \( 6^2 + 10^2 = 8^2 \) is a different and false claim.

Worked example

The problem. (a) A right triangle has legs 9 and 40. Find the hypotenuse. (b) A right triangle has hypotenuse 26 and one leg 10. Find the other leg. (c) Classify the triangles with sides 7, 24, 25; with 6, 8, 11; and with 5, 6, 7. (d) Explain why the converse is a genuinely separate statement.

Step one: solve (a). Both given lengths are legs, so \( c^2 = 9^2 + 40^2 = 81 + 1600 = 1681 \), giving \( c = \sqrt{1681} = 41 \). Sanity check: the hypotenuse must exceed both legs, and \( 41 \gt 40 \). Correct. This is the 9-40-41 triple.

Step two: set up (b) carefully. Here 26 is the hypotenuse and 10 is a leg, so the unknown is the other leg: \( 10^2 + b^2 = 26^2 \), that is \( 100 + b^2 = 676 \).

Step three: solve (b). \( b^2 = 576 \), so \( b = 24 \). Sanity check: \( 24 \lt 26 \), so the leg is shorter than the hypotenuse. Correct. This is the 5-12-13 triple doubled.

Step four: classify 7, 24, 25. The longest is 25. \( 7^2 + 24^2 = 49 + 576 = 625 \), and \( 25^2 = 625 \). Equal. By the converse, the triangle is right.

Step five: classify 6, 8, 11. Triangle inequality first: \( 6 + 8 = 14 \gt 11 \). Valid. The longest is 11. \( 6^2 + 8^2 = 36 + 64 = 100 \), and \( 11^2 = 121 \). Since \( 100 \lt 121 \), the sum of the squares falls short and the triangle is obtuse.

Step six: classify 5, 6, 7. Triangle inequality: \( 5 + 6 = 11 \gt 7 \). Valid. The longest is 7. \( 5^2 + 6^2 = 25 + 36 = 61 \), and \( 7^2 = 49 \). Since \( 61 \gt 49 \), the sum exceeds and the triangle is acute.

Step seven: explain the pattern behind the classification. Hold two sides fixed and swing them apart. When the angle between them is exactly \( 90^\circ \), the third side satisfies \( c^2 = a^2 + b^2 \). Opening the angle further lengthens the third side, so \( c^2 \) grows past \( a^2 + b^2 \) and the triangle is obtuse. Closing it shortens the third side, so \( c^2 \) falls below and the triangle is acute. That is the hinge theorem of lesson 6.7 applied to this situation, which is why the three cases line up the way they do.

Step eight: answer (d). The theorem says: right triangle, therefore \( a^2 + b^2 = c^2 \). The converse says: \( a^2 + b^2 = c^2 \), therefore right triangle. These are different claims and, as lesson 2.2 established, a theorem's truth says nothing about its converse. Here both happen to be true, and the converse has its own proof. Given a triangle with \( a^2 + b^2 = c^2 \), construct a right triangle with legs \( a \) and \( b \). Its hypotenuse is \( \sqrt{a^2 + b^2} = c \) by the theorem. So the two triangles have three pairs of congruent sides and are congruent by SSS, and since the constructed one has a right angle, so does the original. The distinction matters practically: the theorem computes a length in a triangle already known to be right, and the converse establishes that a triangle is right. Citing the wrong one is the converse error the course names.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. A right triangle has legs 3 and 4. Find the hypotenuse.
    Show the full solution

    5

  2. A right triangle has legs 5 and 12. Find the hypotenuse.
    Show the full solution

    13

  3. A right triangle has hypotenuse 17 and a leg 8. Find the other leg.
    Show the full solution

    \( 289 - 64 = 225 \). 15

  4. Classify the triangle with sides 9, 12, 15.
    Show the full solution

    \( 81 + 144 = 225 = 15^2 \). Right

  5. Which side is the hypotenuse?
    Show the full solution

    The longest, opposite the right angle

  6. Classify the triangle with sides 10, 12, 16.
    Show the full solution

    Triangle inequality: \( 10 + 12 = 22 \gt 16 \). Valid. Longest is 16. \( 10^2 + 12^2 = 100 + 144 = 244 \), and \( 16^2 = 256 \). Since \( 244 \lt 256 \), the triangle is obtuse. Obtuse

  7. Classify the triangle with sides 11, 13, 16.
    Show the full solution

    Triangle inequality: \( 11 + 13 = 24 \gt 16 \). Valid. Longest is 16. \( 11^2 + 13^2 = 121 + 169 = 290 \), and \( 16^2 = 256 \). Since \( 290 \gt 256 \), the triangle is acute. Acute

  8. A rectangle is 7 by 24. Find the length of its diagonal.
    Show the full solution

    A diagonal of a rectangle is the hypotenuse of a right triangle whose legs are two sides, since a rectangle has right angles. \( d = \sqrt{7^2 + 24^2} = \sqrt{49 + 576} = \sqrt{625} = 25 \). This is the 7-24-25 triple. 25

  9. Explain why the theorem and its converse do different jobs.
    Show the full solution

    The theorem takes a right triangle as given and produces a numerical relationship among its sides. Its job is computation: knowing two sides of a right triangle, find the third. The converse takes a numerical relationship as given and produces the conclusion that an angle is right. Its job is classification: knowing three lengths, decide what kind of triangle they form. The distinction shows up in how each appears in a proof. A line citing the theorem must already have a right angle available, either given or established. A line citing the converse must already have the squared relationship, and it concludes the right angle rather than assuming it. Mixing them up produces circular reasoning in one direction and an unjustified assumption in the other. A proof that a triangle is right cannot cite the theorem, because the theorem's hypothesis is exactly what is being proved. The theorem computes a side in a triangle already known to be right; the converse establishes that a triangle is right from its side lengths

  10. A ladder 25 feet long leans against a wall with its base 7 feet from the wall. Find how far up the wall it reaches. If the base slides out to 15 feet, how far does the top slide down?
    Show the full solution

    First position. The ladder is the hypotenuse, the distance from the wall is one leg, and the height reached is the other. \( 7^2 + h^2 = 25^2 \), so \( h^2 = 625 - 49 = 576 \) and \( h = 24 \) feet. Second position. The ladder's length is unchanged at 25. \( 15^2 + h^2 = 25^2 \), so \( h^2 = 625 - 225 = 400 \) and \( h = 20 \) feet. The slide. The top moved from 24 feet to 20 feet, a drop of 4 feet. Something worth noticing. The base moved out by \( 15 - 7 = 8 \) feet and the top moved down by only 4 feet. The two do not change by equal amounts, because the relationship is quadratic rather than linear. Near the vertical position a small outward slide costs little height; near the horizontal it costs a great deal, which is the physical reason ladders become unstable as they flatten. Check both. \( 7^2 + 24^2 = 49 + 576 = 625 \) and \( 15^2 + 20^2 = 225 + 400 = 625 \). Both equal \( 25^2 \), so the ladder length is consistent. Both are recognizable triples, 7-24-25 and 3-4-5 scaled by 5. Reaches 24 feet; slides down 4 feet to 20 feet

Lesson 9.2 · Unit 9 · G-SRT.6

Two triangles whose ratios are worth knowing exactly

Two right triangles occur so often that their side ratios are worth memorizing, and both come from figures already studied: the isosceles right triangle is half a square, and the thirty-sixty-ninety is half an equilateral triangle. Knowing the ratios gives exact answers where a calculator would give decimals.

The method
  1. In a \( 45 \)-\( 45 \)-\( 90 \) triangle the legs are congruent and the hypotenuse is \( \sqrt{2} \) times a leg.
  2. So the ratio is \( x : x : x\sqrt{2} \), leg to leg to hypotenuse.
  3. It is half a square cut along a diagonal, which is where the \( \sqrt{2} \) comes from.
  4. In a \( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \) triangle the ratio is \( x : x\sqrt{3} : 2x \), short leg to long leg to hypotenuse.
  5. It is half an equilateral triangle cut along an altitude, which is why the hypotenuse is exactly twice the short leg.
  6. The short leg is opposite the \( 30^\circ \) angle and the long leg is opposite the \( 60^\circ \).
  7. Find the short leg first in a \( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \) problem, since both other sides are expressed in terms of it.
  8. Leave answers with radicals rather than decimals unless a decimal is requested.

Where students lose marks: multiplying when they should divide. Going from a leg to the hypotenuse in a \( 45 \)-\( 45 \)-\( 90 \) multiplies by \( \sqrt{2} \); going the other way divides. The check is that the hypotenuse must be the longest side.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Derive the \( 45 \)-\( 45 \)-\( 90 \) ratio. (b) Derive the \( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \) ratio. (c) A \( 45 \)-\( 45 \)-\( 90 \) triangle has hypotenuse 10. Find the legs. (d) A \( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \) triangle has hypotenuse 14. Find both legs.

Step one: derive (a). Take a square of side \( x \) and cut it along a diagonal. Each half is a right triangle with legs \( x \) and \( x \), and its two acute angles are equal since the triangle is isosceles, so each measures \( \dfrac{90}{2} = 45^\circ \).

Step two: find the hypotenuse. By the Pythagorean theorem, \( c^2 = x^2 + x^2 = 2x^2 \), so \( c = x\sqrt{2} \). The ratio is \( x : x : x\sqrt{2} \).

Step three: derive (b). Take an equilateral triangle of side \( 2x \) and drop an altitude from one vertex. By lesson 5.7 the altitude bisects both the base and the vertex angle, so each half is a right triangle with hypotenuse \( 2x \), short leg \( x \), and angles \( 30^\circ \), \( 60^\circ \), \( 90^\circ \).

Step four: find the long leg. \( x^2 + b^2 = (2x)^2 = 4x^2 \), so \( b^2 = 3x^2 \) and \( b = x\sqrt{3} \). The ratio is \( x : x\sqrt{3} : 2x \). Note where each angle sits: the short leg \( x \) is opposite the \( 30^\circ \) angle, consistent with the rule that the shortest side faces the smallest angle.

Step five: solve (c). The hypotenuse is \( x\sqrt{2} \) where \( x \) is a leg, so \( x\sqrt{2} = 10 \), giving \( x = \dfrac{10}{\sqrt{2}} \). Rationalizing: \( x = \dfrac{10\sqrt{2}}{2} = 5\sqrt{2} \approx 7.07 \). Both legs measure \( 5\sqrt{2} \).

Step six: check (c). \( (5\sqrt{2})^2 + (5\sqrt{2})^2 = 50 + 50 = 100 = 10^2 \). Correct. Sanity check: each leg at about 7.07 is shorter than the hypotenuse of 10, as required.

Step seven: solve (d). The hypotenuse is \( 2x \) where \( x \) is the short leg, so \( 2x = 14 \) and \( x = 7 \). The short leg is 7 and the long leg is \( 7\sqrt{3} \approx 12.12 \).

Step eight: check (d) and note the ordering. \( 7^2 + (7\sqrt{3})^2 = 49 + 147 = 196 = 14^2 \). Correct. Ordering check: \( 7 \lt 12.12 \lt 14 \), so short leg, long leg, hypotenuse runs from smallest to largest. That matches the angles \( 30^\circ \), \( 60^\circ \), \( 90^\circ \), by the theorem of lesson 6.6. The most common error here is assigning 7 to the long leg. Finding the short leg first, from the hypotenuse's factor of 2, prevents it.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. A \( 45 \)-\( 45 \)-\( 90 \) triangle has legs of 6. Find the hypotenuse.
    Show the full solution

    \( 6\sqrt{2} \)

  2. A \( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \) triangle has a short leg of 5. Find the hypotenuse.
    Show the full solution

    Twice the short leg. 10

  3. Find the long leg in that triangle.
    Show the full solution

    \( 5\sqrt{3} \)

  4. Which leg is opposite the \( 30^\circ \) angle?
    Show the full solution

    The short leg

  5. A square has side 8. Find its diagonal.
    Show the full solution

    The diagonal is the hypotenuse of a \( 45 \)-\( 45 \)-\( 90 \) triangle. \( 8\sqrt{2} \)

  6. A \( 45 \)-\( 45 \)-\( 90 \) triangle has hypotenuse \( 12\sqrt{2} \). Find the legs.
    Show the full solution

    The hypotenuse is \( x\sqrt{2} \), so \( x\sqrt{2} = 12\sqrt{2} \) and \( x = 12 \). Both legs measure 12. Check: \( 144 + 144 = 288 \) and \( (12\sqrt{2})^2 = 144 \times 2 = 288 \). Correct. 12 each

  7. A \( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \) triangle has a long leg of \( 9\sqrt{3} \). Find the other two sides.
    Show the full solution

    The long leg is \( x\sqrt{3} \), so \( x\sqrt{3} = 9\sqrt{3} \) and \( x = 9 \). Short leg: 9. Hypotenuse: \( 2x = 18 \). Check: \( 81 + 243 = 324 = 18^2 \). Correct. Ordering: \( 9 \lt 15.59 \lt 18 \). Consistent. Short leg 9, hypotenuse 18

  8. An equilateral triangle has side 12. Find its height and area.
    Show the full solution

    The altitude splits it into two \( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \) triangles with hypotenuse 12 and short leg \( \dfrac{12}{2} = 6 \). The height is the long leg: \( 6\sqrt{3} \approx 10.39 \). Area: \( \dfrac{1}{2}(12)(6\sqrt{3}) = 36\sqrt{3} \approx 62.35 \). Check the height against the Pythagorean theorem: \( 6^2 + (6\sqrt{3})^2 = 36 + 108 = 144 = 12^2 \). Correct. Sanity check: the height of about 10.39 is less than the side of 12, as it must be since the side is a hypotenuse. Height \( 6\sqrt{3} \approx 10.39 \), area \( 36\sqrt{3} \approx 62.35 \)

  9. Explain why the ratios of these triangles are the same regardless of size.
    Show the full solution

    Any two triangles with the same three angles are similar, by the AA criterion of lesson 8.4. All \( 45 \)-\( 45 \)-\( 90 \) triangles have the same three angles, so they are all similar to one another, and similar triangles have proportional sides. Proportional sides mean that dividing any side by any other gives the same value in every such triangle. So the ratio leg to hypotenuse is \( \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}} \) in a tiny one and in an enormous one alike. The same holds for the \( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \) family. That is exactly why memorizing the ratios is useful: they are properties of the shape rather than of any particular triangle, so knowing one side determines all three. The same idea makes trigonometry possible. Lesson 9.3 defines sine, cosine and tangent as ratios in a right triangle, and they are well defined for precisely this reason: all right triangles with a given acute angle are similar, so the ratio depends only on the angle. The special triangles are the two cases where those ratios come out as exact radicals rather than decimals. All triangles with the same angles are similar, so their side ratios are equal regardless of size

  10. A regular hexagon has side 10. Find its area using special right triangles.
    Show the full solution

    Decompose the hexagon. Drawing segments from the center to each vertex cuts a regular hexagon into six triangles. Each has a central angle of \( \dfrac{360}{6} = 60^\circ \), and its other two sides are radii and therefore congruent, so each triangle is isosceles with a \( 60^\circ \) vertex angle. Its base angles are each \( \dfrac{180 - 60}{2} = 60^\circ \), so every triangle is equilateral with side 10. Find the area of one triangle. Its altitude splits it into two \( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \) triangles with hypotenuse 10 and short leg 5, so the height is \( 5\sqrt{3} \). Area: \( \dfrac{1}{2}(10)(5\sqrt{3}) = 25\sqrt{3} \approx 43.30 \). Total area. Six such triangles: \( 6 \times 25\sqrt{3} = 150\sqrt{3} \approx 259.81 \). Check with the apothem formula of lesson 11.2. The apothem is the height of one triangle, \( 5\sqrt{3} \), and the perimeter is \( 6 \times 10 = 60 \). The area of a regular polygon is \( \dfrac{1}{2} \times \text{apothem} \times \text{perimeter} = \dfrac{1}{2}(5\sqrt{3})(60) = 150\sqrt{3} \). Agrees. Sanity check. The hexagon fits inside a circle of radius 10, whose area is \( 100\pi \approx 314.16 \). The hexagon's 259.81 is less, as it must be, and it is about 83 percent of the circle, which is right for a hexagon inscribed in its circumcircle. \( 150\sqrt{3} \approx 259.81 \)

Lesson 9.3 · Unit 9 · G-SRT.6

Three ratios that depend only on the angle

Trigonometry begins with an observation from unit 8: all right triangles with a given acute angle are similar, so their side ratios are the same. That makes it sensible to name those ratios after the angle rather than after any particular triangle.

The method
  1. In a right triangle, relative to an acute angle \( \theta \), the sides are the opposite, the adjacent and the hypotenuse.
  2. The hypotenuse is always the side opposite the right angle, and it never changes with \( \theta \).
  3. Which side is opposite and which is adjacent does change depending on which acute angle is chosen.
  4. \( \sin\theta = \dfrac{\text{opposite}}{\text{hypotenuse}} \).
  5. \( \cos\theta = \dfrac{\text{adjacent}}{\text{hypotenuse}} \).
  6. \( \tan\theta = \dfrac{\text{opposite}}{\text{adjacent}} \).
  7. The ratios depend only on the angle, because all right triangles with that angle are similar by AA.
  8. Sine and cosine are always between 0 and 1 for an acute angle, since a leg is shorter than the hypotenuse; tangent can be any positive number.

Where students lose marks: labeling opposite and adjacent relative to the wrong angle. The labels are not fixed properties of the sides; they depend entirely on which acute angle is in question. Mark the angle first, then label.

Worked example

The problem. A right triangle has legs 3 and 4 and hypotenuse 5, with \( \angle A \) opposite the side of length 3 and \( \angle B \) opposite the side of length 4. (a) Find \( \sin A \), \( \cos A \) and \( \tan A \). (b) Find the same three for \( \angle B \). (c) Verify the ratios are unchanged in a similar triangle with sides 6, 8, 10. (d) Explain why sine and cosine cannot exceed 1.

Step one: label relative to \( \angle A \). The side opposite \( \angle A \) is 3. The hypotenuse is 5. The remaining side, 4, is adjacent to \( \angle A \).

Step two: write the three ratios for (a). \( \sin A = \dfrac{3}{5} = 0.6 \). \( \cos A = \dfrac{4}{5} = 0.8 \). \( \tan A = \dfrac{3}{4} = 0.75 \).

Step three: relabel for \( \angle B \). The side opposite \( \angle B \) is 4. The hypotenuse is still 5. The adjacent side is now 3. Notice that opposite and adjacent swapped, while the hypotenuse did not. That is the whole content of the relabeling.

Step four: write the three ratios for (b). \( \sin B = \dfrac{4}{5} = 0.8 \). \( \cos B = \dfrac{3}{5} = 0.6 \). \( \tan B = \dfrac{4}{3} \approx 1.333 \). Observe that \( \sin A = \cos B \) and \( \cos A = \sin B \). Lesson 9.7 explains why.

Step five: compute in the larger triangle for (c). The triangle with sides 6, 8, 10 is the same one scaled by 2, so the angle corresponding to \( \angle A \) is opposite the side of 6. \( \sin A = \dfrac{6}{10} = 0.6 \). \( \cos A = \dfrac{8}{10} = 0.8 \). \( \tan A = \dfrac{6}{8} = 0.75 \).

Step six: compare and explain. All three values are identical to those in the small triangle. The scale factor of 2 appeared in both the numerator and the denominator of each ratio and canceled. That is the general reason: two right triangles with a common acute angle are similar by AA, so their corresponding sides are proportional, and a ratio of proportional quantities is unchanged.

Step seven: answer (d) for sine. The sine is the opposite leg over the hypotenuse. In a right triangle the hypotenuse is the longest side, proved in lesson 6.6, so the opposite leg is strictly shorter. A ratio of a smaller positive number to a larger one is between 0 and 1, so \( 0 \lt \sin\theta \lt 1 \) for any acute \( \theta \).

Step eight: complete (d) and contrast with tangent. The same argument applies to cosine, since the adjacent leg is also shorter than the hypotenuse. Tangent is different: it compares one leg to the other, and either can be longer. In the example \( \tan A = 0.75 \) and \( \tan B \approx 1.333 \), one below 1 and one above. As the angle approaches \( 90^\circ \) the opposite leg grows without bound relative to the adjacent, so tangent takes arbitrarily large values. The practical consequence: an answer of \( \sin\theta = 1.4 \) is impossible and signals an error, while \( \tan\theta = 1.4 \) is perfectly ordinary.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning. Use the 5-12-13 triangle with \( \angle A \) opposite the 5.

  1. Find \( \sin A \).
    Show the full solution

    \( \frac{5}{13} \)

  2. Find \( \cos A \).
    Show the full solution

    \( \frac{12}{13} \)

  3. Find \( \tan A \).
    Show the full solution

    \( \frac{5}{12} \)

  4. Find \( \sin B \), where \( \angle B \) is the other acute angle.
    Show the full solution

    Opposite \( \angle B \) is 12. \( \frac{12}{13} \)

  5. Can \( \cos\theta = 1.2 \) for an acute angle?
    Show the full solution

    The adjacent leg is shorter than the hypotenuse. No

  6. A right triangle has legs 8 and 15. Find all three ratios for the angle opposite the 8.
    Show the full solution

    Hypotenuse: \( \sqrt{64 + 225} = \sqrt{289} = 17 \). Relative to the angle opposite the 8: opposite is 8, adjacent is 15, hypotenuse is 17. \( \sin = \dfrac{8}{17} \approx 0.471 \). \( \cos = \dfrac{15}{17} \approx 0.882 \). \( \tan = \dfrac{8}{15} \approx 0.533 \). Check: sine and cosine are both between 0 and 1. Correct. \( \frac{8}{17} \), \( \frac{15}{17} \), \( \frac{8}{15} \)

  7. Find the exact values of \( \sin 45^\circ \), \( \cos 45^\circ \) and \( \tan 45^\circ \).
    Show the full solution

    Use the \( 45 \)-\( 45 \)-\( 90 \) triangle with legs 1 and hypotenuse \( \sqrt{2} \). \( \sin 45^\circ = \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}} = \dfrac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \approx 0.707 \). \( \cos 45^\circ = \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}} = \dfrac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \approx 0.707 \). \( \tan 45^\circ = \dfrac{1}{1} = 1 \). Sine and cosine are equal because the triangle is isosceles, so opposite and adjacent are the same length. \( \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \), \( \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \), and 1

  8. Find the exact values of \( \sin 30^\circ \), \( \cos 30^\circ \) and \( \tan 30^\circ \).
    Show the full solution

    Use the \( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \) triangle with short leg 1, long leg \( \sqrt{3} \), hypotenuse 2. Relative to the \( 30^\circ \) angle, the opposite is 1 and the adjacent is \( \sqrt{3} \). \( \sin 30^\circ = \dfrac{1}{2} = 0.5 \). \( \cos 30^\circ = \dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2} \approx 0.866 \). \( \tan 30^\circ = \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{3}} = \dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{3} \approx 0.577 \). Check: \( \sin 30^\circ = 0.5 \) exactly, which is worth remembering as the one clean value. \( \frac{1}{2} \), \( \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} \), \( \frac{\sqrt{3}}{3} \)

  9. Explain why the trigonometric ratios depend only on the angle and not on the triangle.
    Show the full solution

    Take two right triangles that both contain an acute angle of measure \( \theta \). Each has a right angle and an angle of \( \theta \), so two pairs of angles are congruent and the triangles are similar by AA. Similar triangles have proportional corresponding sides, meaning there is a scale factor \( k \) such that every side of the second is \( k \) times the corresponding side of the first. Now compute the sine in the second triangle: \( \dfrac{k \cdot \text{opposite}}{k \cdot \text{hypotenuse}} = \dfrac{\text{opposite}}{\text{hypotenuse}} \), since the \( k \) cancels. That is the sine in the first triangle. The same cancellation happens for cosine and tangent. Why this matters. It is what makes a table or a calculator button possible. If the ratio depended on which triangle was drawn, there would be no such thing as "the sine of \( 35^\circ \)"; there would only be the sine of a particular triangle. Because all such triangles give the same answer, the value can be looked up once and used everywhere. All right triangles with a given acute angle are similar by AA, so the scale factor cancels out of every ratio

  10. In a right triangle, \( \sin\theta = \dfrac{7}{25} \). Find \( \cos\theta \) and \( \tan\theta \) exactly, without finding \( \theta \).
    Show the full solution

    Build a triangle from the given ratio. Since \( \sin\theta = \dfrac{\text{opposite}}{\text{hypotenuse}} = \dfrac{7}{25} \), take a right triangle with opposite side 7 and hypotenuse 25. Any triangle with this ratio will do, since the answers depend only on \( \theta \). Find the adjacent side. By the Pythagorean theorem, \( 7^2 + a^2 = 25^2 \), so \( a^2 = 625 - 49 = 576 \) and \( a = 24 \). This is the 7-24-25 triple. Write the other ratios. \( \cos\theta = \dfrac{24}{25} = 0.96 \). \( \tan\theta = \dfrac{7}{24} \approx 0.292 \). Check with the Pythagorean identity. \( \sin^2\theta + \cos^2\theta = \dfrac{49}{625} + \dfrac{576}{625} = \dfrac{625}{625} = 1 \). Correct, and this identity is just the Pythagorean theorem divided through by \( c^2 \). Second check. \( \dfrac{\sin\theta}{\cos\theta} = \dfrac{7/25}{24/25} = \dfrac{7}{24} = \tan\theta \). Correct, and that relationship holds for every angle. Sanity check on size. A sine of 0.28 is small, so \( \theta \) is a small angle, near \( 16^\circ \). Correspondingly the cosine should be near 1, and 0.96 is. The tangent should be close to the sine for a small angle, and 0.292 is close to 0.28. All consistent. \( \cos\theta = \frac{24}{25} \), \( \tan\theta = \frac{7}{24} \)

Lesson 9.4 · Unit 9 · G-SRT.8

Choosing the ratio that relates what you know to what you want

Given an acute angle and one side, the other two follow. The only decision is which of the three ratios to use, and that is settled by asking which two sides the problem involves. The one complication is an unknown in the denominator.

The method
  1. Mark the given angle on the diagram and label the three sides opposite, adjacent and hypotenuse relative to it.
  2. Identify which side is known and which is wanted.
  3. Choose the ratio involving exactly those two sides: opposite and hypotenuse means sine, adjacent and hypotenuse means cosine, the two legs means tangent.
  4. Write the equation, substituting the angle and the known length.
  5. If the unknown is in the numerator, multiply to solve.
  6. If the unknown is in the denominator, cross multiply first, giving the unknown equal to the known length divided by the ratio.
  7. Keep the calculator in degree mode, which is the single most common source of wildly wrong answers.
  8. Check the answer against the triangle: the hypotenuse must be longest, and a side opposite a small angle must be short.

Where students lose marks: radian mode. A calculator set to radians gives \( \sin 35 \approx -0.428 \) instead of \( 0.574 \), producing a negative length. Any negative or absurd answer should prompt a mode check before anything else.

Worked example

The problem. (a) A right triangle has an acute angle of \( 35^\circ \) and hypotenuse 20. Find the side opposite that angle. (b) A right triangle has an acute angle of \( 40^\circ \) with the opposite side 15. Find the hypotenuse. (c) A right triangle has an acute angle of \( 28^\circ \) with the adjacent leg 9. Find the opposite leg. (d) Solve the triangle in (a) completely.

Step one: choose the ratio for (a). The known side is the hypotenuse and the wanted side is the opposite. The ratio relating opposite and hypotenuse is sine.

Step two: write and solve. \( \sin 35^\circ = \dfrac{x}{20} \), so \( x = 20 \sin 35^\circ \). With \( \sin 35^\circ \approx 0.5736 \): \( x \approx 20 \times 0.5736 \approx 11.47 \).

Step three: check (a). The answer 11.47 is less than the hypotenuse 20, as a leg must be. And \( 35^\circ \) is less than \( 45^\circ \), so the opposite leg should be the shorter of the two legs, which it is, since the other leg is about 16.4. Consistent.

Step four: set up (b), where the unknown is in the denominator. The known is the opposite side and the wanted is the hypotenuse, so sine again: \( \sin 40^\circ = \dfrac{15}{h} \).

Step five: solve (b). Cross multiplying: \( h \sin 40^\circ = 15 \), so \( h = \dfrac{15}{\sin 40^\circ} \). With \( \sin 40^\circ \approx 0.6428 \): \( h \approx \dfrac{15}{0.6428} \approx 23.34 \). Check: the hypotenuse 23.34 exceeds the leg 15, as required. Multiplying instead of dividing would have given \( 15 \times 0.6428 \approx 9.64 \), a hypotenuse shorter than a leg, which the check catches immediately.

Step six: solve (c). The known is the adjacent leg and the wanted is the opposite leg, so the ratio is tangent: \( \tan 28^\circ = \dfrac{x}{9} \), so \( x = 9 \tan 28^\circ \). With \( \tan 28^\circ \approx 0.5317 \): \( x \approx 9 \times 0.5317 \approx 4.79 \). Check: \( 28^\circ \) is well under \( 45^\circ \), so the opposite leg should be noticeably shorter than the adjacent leg, and 4.79 is about half of 9. Consistent.

Step seven: begin (d) using the result from (a). The triangle has a \( 35^\circ \) angle, hypotenuse 20, and opposite leg 11.47. Third angle: \( 90 - 35 = 55^\circ \). Adjacent leg: \( \cos 35^\circ = \dfrac{y}{20} \), so \( y = 20 \cos 35^\circ \approx 20 \times 0.8192 \approx 16.38 \).

Step eight: verify the whole triangle. Angles: \( 35^\circ \), \( 55^\circ \), \( 90^\circ \), summing to \( 180^\circ \). Sides: 11.47, 16.38, 20. Pythagorean check: \( 11.47^2 + 16.38^2 \approx 131.6 + 268.3 = 399.9 \), and \( 20^2 = 400 \). Agrees to rounding. Ordering check: the smallest side 11.47 faces the smallest angle \( 35^\circ \), and the largest side 20 faces the right angle. Consistent with lesson 6.6. Solving a triangle means finding all six parts, and both checks confirm all six are consistent.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning. Round to two decimal places.

  1. Which ratio relates the opposite side and the hypotenuse?
    Show the full solution

    Sine

  2. Which ratio relates the two legs?
    Show the full solution

    Tangent

  3. Hypotenuse 10, angle \( 30^\circ \). Find the opposite side.
    Show the full solution

    \( 10 \sin 30^\circ = 10(0.5) \). 5

  4. Hypotenuse 10, angle \( 60^\circ \). Find the adjacent side.
    Show the full solution

    \( 10 \cos 60^\circ = 10(0.5) \). 5

  5. What mode must the calculator be in?
    Show the full solution

    Degree

  6. An angle of \( 52^\circ \) has adjacent leg 14. Find the hypotenuse.
    Show the full solution

    Adjacent and hypotenuse means cosine, with the unknown in the denominator: \( \cos 52^\circ = \dfrac{14}{h} \), so \( h = \dfrac{14}{\cos 52^\circ} \). With \( \cos 52^\circ \approx 0.6157 \): \( h \approx \dfrac{14}{0.6157} \approx 22.74 \). Check: the hypotenuse exceeds the leg. Correct. About 22.74

  7. An angle of \( 67^\circ \) has opposite leg 25. Find the adjacent leg.
    Show the full solution

    Two legs means tangent, with the unknown in the denominator: \( \tan 67^\circ = \dfrac{25}{a} \), so \( a = \dfrac{25}{\tan 67^\circ} \). With \( \tan 67^\circ \approx 2.3559 \): \( a \approx \dfrac{25}{2.3559} \approx 10.61 \). Check: \( 67^\circ \) exceeds \( 45^\circ \), so the opposite leg should be longer than the adjacent, and \( 25 \gt 10.61 \). Consistent. About 10.61

  8. Solve the right triangle with an acute angle of \( 42^\circ \) and hypotenuse 18.
    Show the full solution

    Third angle: \( 90 - 42 = 48^\circ \). Opposite leg: \( 18 \sin 42^\circ \approx 18 \times 0.6691 \approx 12.04 \). Adjacent leg: \( 18 \cos 42^\circ \approx 18 \times 0.7431 \approx 13.38 \). Check with the Pythagorean theorem: \( 12.04^2 + 13.38^2 \approx 145.0 + 179.0 = 324.0 \), and \( 18^2 = 324 \). Agrees. Ordering: \( 12.04 \lt 13.38 \lt 18 \), matching angles \( 42^\circ \), \( 48^\circ \), \( 90^\circ \). Consistent. Angles \( 42^\circ \), \( 48^\circ \), \( 90^\circ \); sides about 12.04, 13.38 and 18

  9. Explain how to decide whether to multiply or divide.
    Show the full solution

    Write the equation first and let the algebra decide, rather than guessing. If the unknown is in the numerator, as in \( \sin\theta = \dfrac{x}{c} \), multiplying both sides by \( c \) gives \( x = c \sin\theta \). Multiply. If the unknown is in the denominator, as in \( \sin\theta = \dfrac{a}{x} \), cross multiplying gives \( x \sin\theta = a \), so \( x = \dfrac{a}{\sin\theta} \). Divide. A useful rule of thumb: the unknown is in the denominator exactly when the unknown is the larger of the two sides in the ratio, since the denominator of sine or cosine is the hypotenuse. The check that catches the error. Sine and cosine of an acute angle are always less than 1. Multiplying by such a number makes a length smaller; dividing makes it larger. So if the answer should be larger than the given side, divide; if smaller, multiply. A hypotenuse computed as shorter than a leg means the operation was reversed. Write the equation and solve it algebraically; the check is that sine and cosine are less than 1, so multiplying shrinks and dividing enlarges

  10. A ramp rises at \( 8^\circ \) and must reach a loading dock 4 feet high. Find the ramp's length and its horizontal extent, and comment on the design.
    Show the full solution

    The ramp's length. The height 4 is opposite the \( 8^\circ \) angle and the ramp is the hypotenuse, so use sine with the unknown in the denominator: \( \sin 8^\circ = \dfrac{4}{L} \), so \( L = \dfrac{4}{\sin 8^\circ} \). With \( \sin 8^\circ \approx 0.1392 \): \( L \approx \dfrac{4}{0.1392} \approx 28.74 \) feet. The horizontal extent. The horizontal distance is adjacent to the \( 8^\circ \) angle, and the height is opposite, so use tangent: \( \tan 8^\circ = \dfrac{4}{d} \), so \( d = \dfrac{4}{\tan 8^\circ} \). With \( \tan 8^\circ \approx 0.1405 \): \( d \approx \dfrac{4}{0.1405} \approx 28.46 \) feet. Check with the Pythagorean theorem. \( 4^2 + 28.46^2 \approx 16 + 810.0 = 826.0 \), and \( 28.74^2 \approx 825.9 \). Agrees to rounding. Comment on the design. The ramp is nearly 29 feet long to gain 4 feet of height, and its horizontal run is almost the same as its length, since a \( 8^\circ \) angle is shallow. That shallowness is deliberate: accessibility guidelines commonly require a slope no steeper than 1 in 12, which is about \( 4.8^\circ \). At \( 8^\circ \) the slope is roughly 1 in 7, steeper than that standard, so a compliant ramp would need to be longer still, about 48 feet. The lesson about small angles. For a small angle the sine and tangent are nearly equal, 0.1392 against 0.1405 here, so the ramp length and the horizontal run come out within a foot of each other. That approximation fails badly for large angles and is worth knowing only as a sanity check, not as a shortcut. Ramp about 28.74 feet long with a horizontal run of about 28.46 feet; steeper than a typical 1 in 12 accessibility slope

Lesson 9.5 · Unit 9 · G-SRT.8

The inverse functions, and what the notation does not mean

Lesson 9.4 went from an angle to a side. This lesson runs the other way: given two sides, find the angle. The tool is the inverse trigonometric function, whose notation invites one specific and serious misreading.

The method
  1. Given two sides, compute the ratio they form and identify which function it belongs to.
  2. Apply the inverse function to recover the angle: \( \theta = \sin^{-1}(r) \), \( \cos^{-1}(r) \) or \( \tan^{-1}(r) \).
  3. The notation \( \sin^{-1} \) means the inverse function, not a reciprocal. It is not \( \dfrac{1}{\sin} \).
  4. Some calculators write it as arcsin, arccos, arctan, which avoids the ambiguity entirely.
  5. Choose the function by which two sides are known, exactly as in lesson 9.4.
  6. The inverse of sine or cosine requires an input between 0 and 1; an input outside that range means an earlier error.
  7. To solve a right triangle from two sides, find the third side by the Pythagorean theorem and both acute angles by inverse functions.
  8. Check that the two acute angles sum to \( 90^\circ \).

Where students lose marks: reading \( \sin^{-1}(0.5) \) as \( \dfrac{1}{\sin(0.5)} \). The first is \( 30^\circ \); the second is about 1.04 in radian terms and means something entirely different. The exponent notation here names an inverse function, and the reciprocal of sine has its own name, cosecant.

Worked example

The problem. (a) A right triangle has opposite leg 7 and adjacent leg 10 relative to an angle \( \theta \). Find \( \theta \). (b) A right triangle has opposite leg 9 and hypotenuse 15. Find that angle. (c) Solve completely the right triangle with legs 6 and 8. (d) Explain why \( \sin^{-1}(1.5) \) has no answer.

Step one: choose the function for (a). The two known sides are the opposite and adjacent legs, which is the tangent ratio. \( \tan\theta = \dfrac{7}{10} = 0.7 \).

Step two: apply the inverse. \( \theta = \tan^{-1}(0.7) \approx 34.99^\circ \), which rounds to \( 35.0^\circ \).

Step three: check (a). Computing forward, \( \tan 35^\circ \approx 0.7002 \), which matches the ratio 0.7. Correct. Sanity check: the opposite leg 7 is shorter than the adjacent leg 10, so the angle should be less than \( 45^\circ \), and \( 35^\circ \) is. Consistent.

Step four: solve (b). The known sides are the opposite leg and the hypotenuse, which is sine. \( \sin\theta = \dfrac{9}{15} = 0.6 \), so \( \theta = \sin^{-1}(0.6) \approx 36.87^\circ \). Check: \( \sin 36.87^\circ \approx 0.600 \). Correct. This is the 3-4-5 triangle scaled by 3, and \( 36.87^\circ \) is its smaller acute angle.

Step five: begin (c) with the third side. Legs 6 and 8 give hypotenuse \( \sqrt{36 + 64} = \sqrt{100} = 10 \).

Step six: find the first acute angle. Let \( \angle A \) be opposite the leg of 6. \( \tan A = \dfrac{6}{8} = 0.75 \), so \( A = \tan^{-1}(0.75) \approx 36.87^\circ \). Alternatively \( \sin A = \dfrac{6}{10} = 0.6 \), giving the same angle, which is a useful cross-check.

Step seven: find the second and verify. \( \angle B = 90 - 36.87 = 53.13^\circ \). Checking independently: \( \tan B = \dfrac{8}{6} \approx 1.333 \), and \( \tan^{-1}(1.333) \approx 53.13^\circ \). Agrees. Sum check: \( 36.87 + 53.13 = 90.00 \). Correct. Ordering check: the smaller angle \( 36.87^\circ \) faces the shorter leg 6. Consistent with lesson 6.6.

Step eight: answer (d). Asking for \( \sin^{-1}(1.5) \) is asking which angle has a sine of 1.5. But the sine of an acute angle is the opposite leg over the hypotenuse, and the hypotenuse is always the longest side, so that ratio is always less than 1. No angle has a sine of 1.5. The calculator returns an error, and that error is informative: it means a ratio was computed with the wrong side on top, almost always by putting the hypotenuse in the numerator. Checking that the input lies between 0 and 1 before pressing the inverse key catches the mistake at its source. Tangent has no such restriction, since it compares two legs and either may be longer, so \( \tan^{-1}(1.5) \approx 56.31^\circ \) is perfectly ordinary.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning. Round angles to two decimal places.

  1. What does \( \sin^{-1} \) mean?
    Show the full solution

    The inverse sine function, not the reciprocal

  2. Find \( \sin^{-1}(0.5) \).
    Show the full solution

    \( 30^\circ \)

  3. Find \( \tan^{-1}(1) \).
    Show the full solution

    \( 45^\circ \)

  4. Opposite 5, hypotenuse 13. Which function do you use?
    Show the full solution

    Inverse sine

  5. Can \( \cos^{-1}(1.3) \) be computed?
    Show the full solution

    Cosine never exceeds 1 for an acute angle. No

  6. A right triangle has adjacent leg 12 and hypotenuse 20. Find the angle.
    Show the full solution

    Adjacent and hypotenuse means cosine: \( \cos\theta = \dfrac{12}{20} = 0.6 \), so \( \theta = \cos^{-1}(0.6) \approx 53.13^\circ \). Check: \( \cos 53.13^\circ \approx 0.600 \). Correct. This is the 3-4-5 triangle scaled by 4. About \( 53.13^\circ \)

  7. A right triangle has legs 9 and 5. Find both acute angles.
    Show the full solution

    Angle opposite the 5: \( \tan\theta = \dfrac{5}{9} \approx 0.5556 \), so \( \theta = \tan^{-1}(0.5556) \approx 29.05^\circ \). Angle opposite the 9: \( 90 - 29.05 = 60.95^\circ \). Check independently: \( \tan^{-1}\left( \dfrac{9}{5} \right) = \tan^{-1}(1.8) \approx 60.95^\circ \). Agrees. Sum check: \( 29.05 + 60.95 = 90.00 \). Correct. About \( 29.05^\circ \) and \( 60.95^\circ \)

  8. Solve completely the right triangle with hypotenuse 17 and one leg 8.
    Show the full solution

    Third side: \( \sqrt{289 - 64} = \sqrt{225} = 15 \). This is the 8-15-17 triple. Angle opposite the 8: \( \sin\theta = \dfrac{8}{17} \approx 0.4706 \), so \( \theta = \sin^{-1}(0.4706) \approx 28.07^\circ \). Angle opposite the 15: \( 90 - 28.07 = 61.93^\circ \). Check: \( \sin 61.93^\circ \approx 0.882 = \dfrac{15}{17} \). Correct. Ordering: \( 8 \lt 15 \lt 17 \) matching \( 28.07^\circ \), \( 61.93^\circ \), \( 90^\circ \). Consistent. Sides 8, 15, 17; angles about \( 28.07^\circ \), \( 61.93^\circ \), \( 90^\circ \)

  9. Explain why an inverse sine input must be between 0 and 1 but an inverse tangent input need not be.
    Show the full solution

    Sine is the opposite leg divided by the hypotenuse. In any right triangle the hypotenuse is the longest side, proved in lesson 6.6, so the numerator is always smaller than the denominator and the ratio is strictly between 0 and 1. An inverse sine is asking which angle produces a given ratio, so an input outside that range corresponds to no triangle and no angle. The same argument applies to cosine, since the adjacent leg is also shorter than the hypotenuse. Tangent divides one leg by the other, and neither is required to be larger. For an angle under \( 45^\circ \) the opposite leg is shorter and the tangent is under 1; for an angle over \( 45^\circ \) it is over 1; at exactly \( 45^\circ \) it is 1. As the angle approaches \( 90^\circ \) the opposite leg grows without bound relative to the adjacent, so the tangent takes arbitrarily large values. Every positive number is the tangent of some acute angle. The practical use. An inverse sine or cosine error on a calculator is a reliable signal that a ratio was formed upside down, which is worth treating as diagnostic rather than as a nuisance. Sine and cosine divide a leg by the longer hypotenuse, so they are always under 1; tangent divides one leg by the other and either may be longer

  10. A right triangle has legs \( a \) and \( 2a \). Find both acute angles, and explain why the answer does not depend on \( a \).
    Show the full solution

    Find the angles. Take the angle opposite the shorter leg \( a \). Its adjacent leg is \( 2a \), so \( \tan\theta = \dfrac{a}{2a} = \dfrac{1}{2} = 0.5 \), since the \( a \) cancels. \( \theta = \tan^{-1}(0.5) \approx 26.57^\circ \). The other acute angle is \( 90 - 26.57 = 63.43^\circ \). Why \( a \) does not matter. The variable canceled in the ratio, which is the whole point of lesson 9.3: the trigonometric ratios depend only on the angle, not on the size of the triangle. Every right triangle whose legs are in the ratio \( 1 : 2 \) is similar to every other, by SAS similarity with the included right angles, so they all have the same angles. Check with a concrete case. Take \( a = 3 \), so the legs are 3 and 6 and the hypotenuse is \( \sqrt{9 + 36} = \sqrt{45} = 3\sqrt{5} \approx 6.708 \). \( \sin\theta = \dfrac{3}{6.708} \approx 0.4472 \), and \( \sin^{-1}(0.4472) \approx 26.57^\circ \). Agrees. Take \( a = 100 \): legs 100 and 200, hypotenuse \( 100\sqrt{5} \approx 223.6 \), and \( \sin\theta = \dfrac{100}{223.6} \approx 0.4472 \), the same. Confirmed. Sum check. \( 26.57 + 63.43 = 90.00 \). Correct. About \( 26.57^\circ \) and \( 63.43^\circ \); the \( a \) cancels because the ratios depend only on shape

Lesson 9.6 · Unit 9 · G-SRT.8

Drawing the diagram before writing anything

Applications of right-triangle trigonometry almost all involve looking up at something or down at something, and almost all the errors come from setting the diagram up wrongly. Drawing it first, with the horizontal marked, prevents most of them.

The method
  1. The angle of elevation is measured from the horizontal up to the line of sight.
  2. The angle of depression is measured from the horizontal down to the line of sight.
  3. Both are measured from the horizontal, never from the vertical, which is the most common setup error.
  4. The angle of elevation from \( A \) to \( B \) equals the angle of depression from \( B \) to \( A \), because they are alternate interior angles between two horizontal and therefore parallel lines.
  5. Draw the diagram first, marking the horizontal, the line of sight, and the right angle.
  6. Label the known length and the wanted length before choosing a ratio.
  7. Account for the observer's height when the question involves eye level, by adding it at the end.
  8. Check the answer for physical plausibility against the situation described.

Where students lose marks: forgetting to add the observer's eye height. The trigonometry gives the height above eye level, and the question usually wants the height above the ground. That final addition is a separate step and it is easy to omit.

Worked example

The problem. (a) A person whose eyes are 1.6 m above the ground stands 50 m from a tower and measures the angle of elevation to its top as \( 32^\circ \). Find the tower's height. (b) From the top of a cliff 80 m high, the angle of depression to a boat is \( 25^\circ \). Find the boat's distance from the base of the cliff. (c) Explain why the angle of elevation and the angle of depression between two points are equal.

Step one: draw and label for (a). Draw a horizontal line at eye level, 1.6 m above the ground. From the eye, draw the line of sight up to the tower's top, making a \( 32^\circ \) angle with the horizontal. The horizontal distance to the tower is 50 m. The vertical distance from eye level to the tower's top is the unknown, call it \( x \).

Step two: choose the ratio. The known side is the horizontal 50, which is adjacent to the \( 32^\circ \) angle. The wanted side \( x \) is opposite it. Two legs means tangent.

Step three: solve for \( x \). \( \tan 32^\circ = \dfrac{x}{50} \), so \( x = 50 \tan 32^\circ \). With \( \tan 32^\circ \approx 0.6249 \): \( x \approx 50 \times 0.6249 \approx 31.24 \) m.

Step four: add the eye height and finish (a). The value 31.24 m is the height above eye level, and eye level is 1.6 m above the ground. Tower height: \( 31.24 + 1.6 = 32.84 \) m. This final addition is the step most often forgotten, and omitting it would give an answer 1.6 m too small.

Step five: check (a). A tower about 33 m tall seen from 50 m away should subtend a modest angle, and \( \tan^{-1}\left( \dfrac{31.24}{50} \right) = 32^\circ \) confirms the arithmetic. The height being less than the distance is consistent with the angle being under \( 45^\circ \).

Step six: draw and label for (b). From the cliff top, draw a horizontal line. The line of sight to the boat goes down at \( 25^\circ \) below it. The vertical drop is 80 m and the horizontal distance to the boat is the unknown \( d \). The angle at the boat, between the water and the line of sight, is also \( 25^\circ \), as part (c) explains.

Step seven: solve (b). Working in the right triangle, the \( 25^\circ \) angle at the boat has opposite side 80 and adjacent side \( d \), so tangent applies with the unknown in the denominator: \( \tan 25^\circ = \dfrac{80}{d} \), so \( d = \dfrac{80}{\tan 25^\circ} \). With \( \tan 25^\circ \approx 0.4663 \): \( d \approx \dfrac{80}{0.4663} \approx 171.6 \) m. Check: the angle is shallow, so the boat should be much further out than the cliff is high, and 171.6 is more than twice 80. Consistent.

Step eight: answer (c). Draw the horizontal at the observer's position and the horizontal at the object's position. Both are horizontal, so they are parallel. The line of sight is a transversal cutting both. The angle of depression at the top and the angle of elevation at the bottom are alternate interior angles for those parallel lines, so they are congruent by the alternate interior angles theorem of lesson 3.2. That equality is what makes part (b) workable: the \( 25^\circ \) measured at the cliff top can be used as the angle at the boat, where it sits inside the right triangle.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. From where is an angle of elevation measured?
    Show the full solution

    From the horizontal

  2. Is the angle of depression measured from the vertical?
    Show the full solution

    No, from the horizontal

  3. How do the angle of elevation and depression between two points compare?
    Show the full solution

    They are equal

  4. A tree casts an angle of elevation of \( 45^\circ \) from 20 m away. Find its height, ignoring eye level.
    Show the full solution

    \( 20 \tan 45^\circ = 20(1) \). 20 m

  5. What extra step is needed when the observer's eye height is given?
    Show the full solution

    Add the eye height to the computed height above eye level

  6. From 120 m away, the angle of elevation to a building's top is \( 28^\circ \). The observer's eyes are 1.5 m high. Find the building's height.
    Show the full solution

    Above eye level: \( 120 \tan 28^\circ \approx 120 \times 0.5317 \approx 63.80 \) m. Adding the eye height: \( 63.80 + 1.5 = 65.30 \) m. Check: the angle is under \( 45^\circ \), so the height above eye level should be less than the horizontal distance, and \( 63.80 \lt 120 \). Consistent. About 65.30 m

  7. From a lighthouse 45 m tall, the angle of depression to a ship is \( 18^\circ \). Find the ship's distance from the base.
    Show the full solution

    The angle of depression equals the angle of elevation from the ship, so the \( 18^\circ \) angle sits at the ship with opposite side 45 and adjacent side \( d \). \( \tan 18^\circ = \dfrac{45}{d} \), so \( d = \dfrac{45}{\tan 18^\circ} \). With \( \tan 18^\circ \approx 0.3249 \): \( d \approx \dfrac{45}{0.3249} \approx 138.5 \) m. Check: a shallow angle means a distant ship, and 138.5 m is about three times the lighthouse height. Consistent. About 138.5 m

  8. A kite string 80 m long makes an angle of \( 52^\circ \) with the ground. Find the kite's height above the ground, assuming the string is held at ground level.
    Show the full solution

    The string is the hypotenuse and the height is opposite the \( 52^\circ \) angle, so use sine: \( h = 80 \sin 52^\circ \approx 80 \times 0.7880 \approx 63.04 \) m. Check: the height must be less than the string length, and \( 63.04 \lt 80 \). Correct. A second check: the horizontal distance is \( 80 \cos 52^\circ \approx 49.25 \) m, and \( 63.04^2 + 49.25^2 \approx 3974 + 2426 = 6400 = 80^2 \). Agrees. About 63.04 m

  9. Explain why drawing the diagram first prevents most errors in these problems.
    Show the full solution

    Three specific errors are prevented by the drawing, and all three are hard to catch afterward. Measuring from the wrong reference. An angle of elevation is from the horizontal, and a student who imagines it from the vertical will use the complement, producing an answer that is wrong but not obviously so. Drawing the horizontal explicitly makes the reference visible. Mislabeling opposite and adjacent. Which leg is opposite the angle depends on where the angle sits, and in a word problem the angle may be at the top or at the bottom of the figure. A labeled diagram settles it before a ratio is chosen. Forgetting the observer's height. On a drawing, the eye-level line is visibly above the ground, and the gap between them is an obvious separate quantity. In an unillustrated calculation it is invisible. A fourth benefit. The diagram supports the sanity check. Seeing that the angle is shallow makes it obvious that the horizontal distance should exceed the height, so an answer with those reversed is caught immediately. It fixes the reference for the angle, settles which leg is opposite, makes the observer's height visible, and supports the plausibility check

  10. From the top of a building, the angle of depression to the near edge of a road is \( 62^\circ \) and to the far edge is \( 41^\circ \). The building is 70 m tall. Find the road's width.
    Show the full solution

    Set up. Both angles are measured from the same point at the top of the building, down to two points on the ground at different distances. Each gives a right triangle sharing the vertical side of 70 m. The angles of depression equal the angles of elevation at the two edges, so each sits at ground level in its triangle. Near edge. The \( 62^\circ \) angle has opposite side 70 and adjacent side \( d_1 \): \( \tan 62^\circ = \dfrac{70}{d_1} \), so \( d_1 = \dfrac{70}{\tan 62^\circ} \approx \dfrac{70}{1.8807} \approx 37.22 \) m. Far edge. The \( 41^\circ \) angle gives \( d_2 = \dfrac{70}{\tan 41^\circ} \approx \dfrac{70}{0.8693} \approx 80.52 \) m. The road's width. The difference of the two distances: \( 80.52 - 37.22 = 43.30 \) m. Check the ordering. A steeper angle of depression corresponds to a nearer point, and \( 62^\circ \gt 41^\circ \) went with 37.22 m against 80.52 m. Consistent. Had the subtraction been done the other way the answer would be negative, which is an immediate signal. Sanity check. A road 43 m wide is broad but plausible for a major highway with several lanes and a median. And both distances are reasonable for viewing from a 70 m building, roughly a twenty-story tower. Check with the angles. Recomputing: \( \tan^{-1}\left( \dfrac{70}{37.22} \right) \approx 62.0^\circ \) and \( \tan^{-1}\left( \dfrac{70}{80.52} \right) \approx 41.0^\circ \). Both recover the given angles. About 43.30 m

Lesson 9.7 · Unit 9 · G-SRT.7

Why the two functions are the same function seen from the other end

The two acute angles of a right triangle are complementary, and swapping which one you look from swaps opposite with adjacent. That single observation explains the relationship between sine and cosine, and it gives a free check on every trigonometric answer.

The method
  1. The two acute angles of a right triangle are complementary, since they sum to \( 90^\circ \).
  2. \( \sin\theta = \cos(90^\circ - \theta) \) for any acute \( \theta \).
  3. Equivalently \( \cos\theta = \sin(90^\circ - \theta) \).
  4. The reason is the relabeling: the side opposite one acute angle is adjacent to the other.
  5. That is why cosine is named as it is, from the complement's sine.
  6. Use it to rewrite an expression so that both terms involve the same function.
  7. Use it as a check: if \( \sin 40^\circ \) and \( \cos 50^\circ \) do not agree, something is wrong.
  8. Tangent has a similar relationship, \( \tan\theta = \dfrac{1}{\tan(90^\circ - \theta)} \), since opposite and adjacent swap.

Where students lose marks: writing \( \sin\theta = \cos\theta \). The relationship involves the complement, not the same angle. They are equal only at \( \theta = 45^\circ \), which is its own complement.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Prove \( \sin\theta = \cos(90^\circ - \theta) \). (b) Verify with \( \theta = 30^\circ \). (c) Solve \( \sin(3x) = \cos(x + 10^\circ) \) for an acute \( 3x \). (d) Find \( \tan 70^\circ \) given \( \tan 20^\circ \approx 0.3640 \).

Step one: set up (a). Take a right triangle with acute angles \( \theta \) and \( \varphi \), and a right angle. Label the side opposite \( \theta \) as \( a \), the side opposite \( \varphi \) as \( b \), and the hypotenuse as \( c \).

Step two: establish that the angles are complementary. The three angles sum to \( 180^\circ \) and one is \( 90^\circ \), so \( \theta + \varphi = 90^\circ \), giving \( \varphi = 90^\circ - \theta \).

Step three: write the sine of \( \theta \). Relative to \( \theta \), the opposite side is \( a \) and the hypotenuse is \( c \), so \( \sin\theta = \dfrac{a}{c} \).

Step four: write the cosine of \( \varphi \). Relative to \( \varphi \), the side \( a \) is no longer opposite; it is adjacent, since \( a \) touches the vertex of \( \varphi \) and is not the hypotenuse. So \( \cos\varphi = \dfrac{a}{c} \).

Step five: conclude (a). Both expressions equal \( \dfrac{a}{c} \), so \( \sin\theta = \cos\varphi = \cos(90^\circ - \theta) \). The proof required no computation at all: it is entirely a matter of noticing that the same side plays two different roles depending on which angle is being used.

Step six: verify (b). \( \sin 30^\circ = 0.5 \) exactly, from the \( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \) triangle. \( \cos 60^\circ = 0.5 \) exactly, from the same triangle. And \( 90 - 30 = 60 \), so the relationship holds. A second case: \( \sin 40^\circ \approx 0.6428 \) and \( \cos 50^\circ \approx 0.6428 \). Equal, as predicted.

Step seven: solve (c). The equation \( \sin(3x) = \cos(x + 10^\circ) \) holds when the two angles are complementary: \( 3x + (x + 10) = 90 \), so \( 4x + 10 = 90 \), giving \( 4x = 80 \) and \( x = 20^\circ \). Check: \( 3x = 60^\circ \) and \( x + 10 = 30^\circ \). Their sum is \( 90^\circ \), so they are complementary, and \( \sin 60^\circ = \cos 30^\circ \approx 0.866 \). Correct. The angle \( 3x = 60^\circ \) is acute, as required.

Step eight: solve (d). The tangent relationship says \( \tan\theta = \dfrac{1}{\tan(90^\circ - \theta)} \), because opposite and adjacent swap places and the ratio inverts. So \( \tan 70^\circ = \dfrac{1}{\tan 20^\circ} \approx \dfrac{1}{0.3640} \approx 2.747 \). Check with a calculator: \( \tan 70^\circ \approx 2.7475 \). Correct. The relationship is worth knowing as a check rather than a computational shortcut: an answer for \( \tan 70^\circ \) that is less than 1 would be caught immediately, since a \( 70^\circ \) angle has its opposite leg much longer than its adjacent one.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is \( \cos(90^\circ - \theta) \) equal to?
    Show the full solution

    \( \sin\theta \)

  2. \( \sin 25^\circ \) equals which cosine?
    Show the full solution

    \( \cos 65^\circ \)

  3. \( \cos 18^\circ \) equals which sine?
    Show the full solution

    \( \sin 72^\circ \)

  4. At what angle does \( \sin\theta = \cos\theta \)?
    Show the full solution

    It is its own complement. \( 45^\circ \)

  5. Why are the two acute angles of a right triangle complementary?
    Show the full solution

    The three angles sum to \( 180^\circ \) and one is \( 90^\circ \)

  6. Solve \( \sin(2x + 10^\circ) = \cos(x + 20^\circ) \).
    Show the full solution

    The relationship holds when the two angles are complementary: \( (2x + 10) + (x + 20) = 90 \), so \( 3x + 30 = 90 \), giving \( 3x = 60 \) and \( x = 20^\circ \). Check: the angles are \( 2(20) + 10 = 50^\circ \) and \( 20 + 20 = 40^\circ \), summing to \( 90^\circ \). And \( \sin 50^\circ \approx 0.766 = \cos 40^\circ \). Correct. \( x = 20^\circ \)

  7. Given \( \sin 35^\circ \approx 0.5736 \), find \( \cos 55^\circ \) without a calculator.
    Show the full solution

    Since \( 35 + 55 = 90 \), the angles are complementary, so \( \cos 55^\circ = \sin 35^\circ \approx 0.5736 \). No computation was needed beyond recognizing the complement. About 0.5736

  8. In a right triangle, \( \sin A = \dfrac{3}{5} \). Find \( \cos B \), where \( \angle B \) is the other acute angle.
    Show the full solution

    The two acute angles are complementary, so \( B = 90^\circ - A \). Therefore \( \cos B = \cos(90^\circ - A) = \sin A = \dfrac{3}{5} \). Confirming with the triangle: if \( \sin A = \dfrac{3}{5} \), take the opposite side 3 and hypotenuse 5, giving adjacent side 4. Relative to \( \angle B \), the side of 3 is now adjacent, so \( \cos B = \dfrac{3}{5} \). Agrees. \( \frac{3}{5} \)

  9. Explain why cosine is named "cosine."
    Show the full solution

    The name is a contraction of "complement's sine," and it records exactly the relationship of this lesson: the cosine of an angle is the sine of its complement. The historical route is through Latin. Early trigonometric tables listed the sine of an angle and, alongside it, the sine of the complementary angle, written as sinus complementi. That phrase contracted to cosinus and then to cosine. The same pattern names the other co-functions. Cotangent is the tangent of the complement, which is why \( \tan\theta \) and \( \cot\theta \) are reciprocals of each other when the angles are complementary. Cosecant relates to secant the same way. Why this is worth knowing. The name is a mnemonic for the identity rather than an arbitrary label, so remembering what cosine means gives the relationship free. And it explains why the sine and cosine graphs in later courses are the same curve shifted by \( 90^\circ \): they are the same function evaluated at complementary angles. It contracts "sine of the complement," which is precisely the relationship \( \cos\theta = \sin(90^\circ - \theta) \)

  10. Prove that \( \sin^2\theta + \cos^2\theta = 1 \) for any acute angle, and use it to find \( \cos\theta \) when \( \sin\theta = 0.28 \).
    Show the full solution

    The proof. Take a right triangle with the angle \( \theta \), opposite side \( a \), adjacent side \( b \), and hypotenuse \( c \). By definition, \( \sin\theta = \dfrac{a}{c} \) and \( \cos\theta = \dfrac{b}{c} \). Squaring and adding: \[ \sin^2\theta + \cos^2\theta = \frac{a^2}{c^2} + \frac{b^2}{c^2} = \frac{a^2 + b^2}{c^2} \] By the Pythagorean theorem, \( a^2 + b^2 = c^2 \), so the fraction is \( \dfrac{c^2}{c^2} = 1 \). So the identity is the Pythagorean theorem with every term divided by \( c^2 \), which is why it is called the Pythagorean identity. Using it. Given \( \sin\theta = 0.28 \): \( \cos^2\theta = 1 - 0.28^2 = 1 - 0.0784 = 0.9216 \), so \( \cos\theta = \sqrt{0.9216} = 0.96 \), taking the positive root since \( \theta \) is acute and cosine is positive there. Check. \( \sin^{-1}(0.28) \approx 16.26^\circ \), and \( \cos 16.26^\circ \approx 0.960 \). Correct. A second check by triangle. A sine of 0.28 corresponds to a 7-24-25 triangle scaled, since \( \dfrac{7}{25} = 0.28 \). Then \( \cos\theta = \dfrac{24}{25} = 0.96 \). Agrees exactly. Why this identity is useful. It finds one ratio from another without finding the angle, which avoids rounding error and gives exact answers when the input is exact. It is also the foundation of the trigonometric identities studied in Algebra 2 and Precalculus. Proved by dividing the Pythagorean theorem by \( c^2 \); \( \cos\theta = 0.96 \)

Unit 9 mixed review · 10 problems · all topics

Unit 9: Right Triangles and Trigonometry

Keep the calculator in degree mode. Round to two decimal places unless the answer is exact.

  1. A right triangle has legs 8 and 15. Find the hypotenuse.
    Show the full solution

    \( \sqrt{64 + 225} = \sqrt{289} \). 17

  2. Classify the triangle with sides 5, 12 and 14.
    Show the full solution

    \( 25 + 144 = 169 \), and \( 14^2 = 196 \). Since \( 169 \lt 196 \), the sum of the squares falls short. Obtuse

  3. A \( 45 \)-\( 45 \)-\( 90 \) triangle has a leg of 7. Find its hypotenuse.
    Show the full solution

    \( 7\sqrt{2} \)

  4. A \( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \) triangle has hypotenuse 20. Find both legs.
    Show the full solution

    Short leg is half the hypotenuse; long leg is that times \( \sqrt{3} \). 10 and \( 10\sqrt{3} \)

  5. An angle has opposite side 9 and hypotenuse 15. Find its sine.
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{9}{15} \). \( \frac{3}{5} \)

  6. A right triangle has an acute angle of \( 38^\circ \) with adjacent leg 20. Find the opposite leg.
    Show the full solution

    Two legs means tangent: \( x = 20 \tan 38^\circ \approx 20 \times 0.7813 \approx 15.63 \). Check: \( 38^\circ \) is under \( 45^\circ \), so the opposite leg should be shorter than the adjacent, and \( 15.63 \lt 20 \). Consistent. About 15.63

  7. A right triangle has legs 7 and 11. Find the angle opposite the 11.
    Show the full solution

    \( \tan\theta = \dfrac{11}{7} \approx 1.5714 \), so \( \theta = \tan^{-1}(1.5714) \approx 57.53^\circ \). Check: the opposite leg is the longer one, so the angle should exceed \( 45^\circ \), and it does. The other acute angle is \( 90 - 57.53 = 32.47^\circ \). About \( 57.53^\circ \)

  8. From 100 m away, the angle of elevation to a tower's top is \( 22^\circ \). The observer's eyes are 1.7 m above the ground. Find the tower's height.
    Show the full solution

    Above eye level: \( 100 \tan 22^\circ \approx 100 \times 0.4040 \approx 40.40 \) m. Adding the eye height: \( 40.40 + 1.7 = 42.10 \) m. Check: the angle is well under \( 45^\circ \), so the height above eye level should be well under the 100 m horizontal distance. It is. About 42.10 m

  9. \( \sin 62^\circ \) equals the cosine of which angle, and why?
    Show the full solution

    \( \cos 28^\circ \), since \( 62 + 28 = 90 \) and the angles are complementary. Why. In a right triangle the two acute angles sum to \( 90^\circ \). The side opposite one of them is adjacent to the other, while the hypotenuse is the same for both. So the ratio that is the sine from one vertex's point of view is the cosine from the other's, and the two functions are the same function seen from opposite ends. Numerical check. \( \sin 62^\circ \approx 0.8829 \) and \( \cos 28^\circ \approx 0.8829 \). Equal. Where the name comes from. "Cosine" contracts the Latin for "sine of the complement," so the name records the relationship. \( \cos 28^\circ \), because the angles are complementary and opposite becomes adjacent

  10. A support wire runs from the top of a 40-foot pole to the ground, meeting the ground at \( 65^\circ \). Find the wire's length and its distance from the pole's base, then find how much wire is needed for four such wires plus 3 feet of slack each.
    Show the full solution

    Draw and label. The pole is vertical with height 40, the ground is horizontal, and the wire is the hypotenuse making a \( 65^\circ \) angle with the ground. The pole's height is opposite that angle. The wire's length. Opposite and hypotenuse means sine, with the unknown in the denominator: \( \sin 65^\circ = \dfrac{40}{L} \), so \( L = \dfrac{40}{\sin 65^\circ} \approx \dfrac{40}{0.9063} \approx 44.13 \) feet. The distance from the base. That distance is adjacent to the \( 65^\circ \) angle, with the height opposite, so use tangent: \( \tan 65^\circ = \dfrac{40}{d} \), so \( d = \dfrac{40}{\tan 65^\circ} \approx \dfrac{40}{2.1445} \approx 18.65 \) feet. Check with the Pythagorean theorem. \( 18.65^2 + 40^2 \approx 347.8 + 1600 = 1947.8 \), and \( 44.13^2 \approx 1947.5 \). Agrees to rounding. Check the ordering. The wire at 44.13 feet is the longest side, as the hypotenuse must be, and the base distance of 18.65 feet is shorter than the pole's 40 feet, which is right for an angle steeper than \( 45^\circ \). Total wire needed. Each wire is 44.13 feet plus 3 feet of slack, so 47.13 feet. Four wires: \( 4 \times 47.13 = 188.52 \) feet. A practical note. Rounding up matters here. Ordering 188 feet would leave the job half a foot short, so a real order would be 190 or 200 feet. Rounding a construction quantity downward is the kind of error that a check against the situation, rather than against the arithmetic, is meant to catch. Wire about 44.13 ft, base distance about 18.65 ft, total about 188.52 ft for four

Lesson 10.1 · Unit 10 · G-C.1

The parts of a circle, and the one definition everything rests on

A circle is defined by a single condition, and every theorem in this unit is ultimately a consequence of it: all radii of a circle are congruent. That fact converts most circle diagrams into isosceles triangles, which is where the proofs come from.

The method
  1. A circle is the set of all points in a plane at a fixed distance from a fixed point, the center.
  2. The fixed distance is the radius, and all radii of one circle are congruent by definition.
  3. A chord joins two points on the circle; a diameter is a chord through the center, and it is twice the radius.
  4. A secant is a line meeting the circle twice; a tangent is a line meeting it exactly once.
  5. An arc is a portion of the circle, minor if less than a semicircle, major if more.
  6. A central angle has its vertex at the center, and its measure equals the measure of its intercepted arc.
  7. Arc measure is in degrees and arc length is in units; these are different quantities and lesson 10.6 separates them.
  8. All circles are similar, since any circle maps onto any other by a translation and a dilation.

Where students lose marks: confusing the measure of an arc with its length. Two circles of different sizes can both have a \( 60^\circ \) arc, but the arcs have different lengths. Measure describes the angle swept; length describes the distance traveled.

Worked example

The problem. A circle has center \( O \) and radius 10. Points \( A \), \( B \) and \( C \) lie on it, with \( m\angle AOB = 72^\circ \) and \( m\angle BOC = 118^\circ \), the three points in order around the circle. (a) Find \( m\widehat{AB} \) and \( m\widehat{BC} \). (b) Find \( m\widehat{AC} \) taken the short way and the long way. (c) Prove \( \triangle AOB \) is isosceles and find its base angles. (d) Explain why all circles are similar.

Step one: answer (a). A central angle's measure equals the measure of its intercepted arc, so \( m\widehat{AB} = 72^\circ \) and \( m\widehat{BC} = 118^\circ \). This is a definition rather than a theorem: arc measure is defined to be the central angle's measure.

Step two: answer (b) the short way. Going from \( A \) to \( C \) through \( B \) covers both arcs: \( m\widehat{ABC} = 72 + 118 = 190^\circ \). That exceeds \( 180^\circ \), so it is the major arc.

Step three: answer (b) the other way. The whole circle measures \( 360^\circ \), so the arc from \( A \) to \( C \) not containing \( B \) measures \( 360 - 190 = 170^\circ \). That is the minor arc. Check: \( 170 + 190 = 360 \). Correct. Notice that naming matters here. Writing \( \widehat{AC} \) is ambiguous when two arcs join those points, which is why a major arc is named with three letters.

Step four: prove the triangle is isosceles for (c). Both \( \overline{OA} \) and \( \overline{OB} \) are radii of the same circle, so \( \overline{OA} \cong \overline{OB} \) by the definition of a circle. A triangle with two congruent sides is isosceles by definition.

Step five: find the base angles. By the isosceles triangle theorem of lesson 5.7, the angles opposite the congruent sides are congruent, so \( \angle OAB \cong \angle OBA \). The three angles sum to \( 180^\circ \), and the vertex angle is \( 72^\circ \), so each base angle measures \( \dfrac{180 - 72}{2} = 54^\circ \).

Step six: note the general pattern. Every triangle formed by two radii is isosceles, for the same reason. That single observation is the engine behind the chord theorems of lesson 10.2 and the inscribed angle theorem of lesson 10.4. Whenever a circle proof stalls, drawing a radius to a labeled point usually restarts it.

Step seven: answer (d). Take two circles, one with center \( P \) and radius \( r \), the other with center \( Q \) and radius \( s \). Translate the first so that \( P \) lands on \( Q \). A translation is a rigid motion, so the image is still a circle of radius \( r \), now centered at \( Q \). Then dilate about \( Q \) with scale factor \( \dfrac{s}{r} \). Every point at distance \( r \) from \( Q \) maps to a point at distance \( s \), so the image is exactly the second circle.

Step eight: state the consequence. A similarity transformation carries the first circle onto the second, so by the definition of similarity in lesson 8.2 the circles are similar. No condition was needed; it works for any two circles. That is why constants like \( \pi \) exist at all. Since all circles are similar, the ratio of circumference to diameter is the same for every circle, and that shared value is \( \pi \). Lesson 10.6 uses the same reasoning for arc length.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is the definition of a circle?
    Show the full solution

    All points in a plane at a fixed distance from a fixed center

  2. A central angle measures \( 45^\circ \). What is its intercepted arc?
    Show the full solution

    \( 45^\circ \)

  3. A radius is 7. Find the diameter.
    Show the full solution

    14

  4. What is a chord through the center called?
    Show the full solution

    A diameter

  5. How many times does a tangent meet the circle?
    Show the full solution

    Once

  6. An arc measures \( 140^\circ \). Find the measure of the rest of the circle.
    Show the full solution

    The whole circle measures \( 360^\circ \). \( 360 - 140 = 220^\circ \). The \( 140^\circ \) arc is minor and the \( 220^\circ \) arc is major, since one is under and the other over \( 180^\circ \). \( 220^\circ \)

  7. Two radii form a \( 100^\circ \) angle. Find the base angles of the triangle they make with the chord.
    Show the full solution

    Both segments are radii, so they are congruent and the triangle is isosceles. By the isosceles triangle theorem the base angles are congruent, and they sum with \( 100^\circ \) to \( 180^\circ \). Each base angle: \( \dfrac{180 - 100}{2} = 40^\circ \). Check: \( 40 + 40 + 100 = 180 \). Correct. \( 40^\circ \) each

  8. Three points divide a circle into arcs in the ratio \( 2 : 3 : 4 \). Find all three arc measures.
    Show the full solution

    Let the arcs be \( 2x \), \( 3x \) and \( 4x \). They make up the whole circle: \( 2x + 3x + 4x = 360 \), so \( 9x = 360 \) and \( x = 40 \). The arcs measure \( 80^\circ \), \( 120^\circ \) and \( 160^\circ \). Check: \( 80 + 120 + 160 = 360 \). Correct, and the ratio \( 80 : 120 : 160 \) reduces to \( 2 : 3 : 4 \). Correct. \( 80^\circ \), \( 120^\circ \), \( 160^\circ \)

  9. Explain why every triangle formed by two radii and a chord is isosceles, and why this matters.
    Show the full solution

    By the definition of a circle, every point on it is the same distance from the center. So any two radii have the same length, making them congruent segments. A triangle with two congruent sides is isosceles by definition, so the triangle formed by two radii and the chord joining their endpoints is always isosceles, whatever the central angle. Why it matters. The isosceles triangle theorem then gives two congruent base angles for free, and that pair of congruent angles is usually the missing ingredient in a circle proof. The chord theorems of lesson 10.2 all come from it, the inscribed angle theorem of lesson 10.4 is proved by building an isosceles triangle from a radius, and the tangent results of lesson 10.3 use the same idea. The practical advice. In any circle proof, draw radii to the labeled points. It costs nothing and usually produces the congruent angles or sides the proof needs. All radii of a circle are congruent by definition, so any two of them form an isosceles triangle, supplying congruent base angles

  10. Prove that all circles are similar, and explain what follows from it.
    Show the full solution

    The proof. Let the first circle have center \( P \) and radius \( r \), and the second have center \( Q \) and radius \( s \). Apply the translation carrying \( P \) to \( Q \). Translation is a rigid motion, so the image is a circle of radius \( r \) centered at \( Q \). Now apply the dilation centered at \( Q \) with scale factor \( k = \dfrac{s}{r} \). A dilation multiplies every distance from the center by \( k \), so a point at distance \( r \) from \( Q \) maps to a point at distance \( r \cdot \dfrac{s}{r} = s \). Every point of the image circle therefore lands at distance \( s \) from \( Q \), and every point at distance \( s \) is the image of some point at distance \( r \). The image is exactly the second circle. A translation followed by a dilation is a similarity transformation, so the circles are similar by the definition of lesson 8.2. Note what was not required. No condition on the two circles was used. Unlike triangles, which need AA or SSS similarity to be checked, circles are automatically similar. The same is true of squares and of regular polygons with the same number of sides, and for the same reason: their shape is determined with no free parameters beyond size. What follows. Corresponding measurements in similar figures are proportional, so any ratio of two lengths within a circle is the same for all circles. That is why \( \dfrac{\text{circumference}}{\text{diameter}} \) has one universal value, named \( \pi \), rather than a value that depends on the circle. It is also why the arc length formula of lesson 10.6 works: the ratio of an arc to the whole circumference depends only on the arc's angular measure, not on the radius. A translation followed by a dilation carries any circle onto any other, so all circles are similar; this is why \( \pi \) is a constant

Lesson 10.2 · Unit 10 · G-C.2

What a perpendicular from the center does to a chord

Three chord theorems cover nearly every chord problem, and all three are proved the same way: draw radii to the chord's endpoints and use the isosceles triangle that results, or use congruent right triangles created by the perpendicular from the center.

The method
  1. A diameter perpendicular to a chord bisects the chord and its arc.
  2. The converse holds: a diameter that bisects a chord, other than another diameter, is perpendicular to it.
  3. In one circle, congruent chords have congruent arcs, and conversely.
  4. In one circle, congruent chords are equidistant from the center, and conversely.
  5. Distance from the center means perpendicular distance, as defined in lesson 3.5.
  6. The standard construction: drop a perpendicular from the center to the chord, creating two congruent right triangles.
  7. Those triangles have hypotenuse the radius, one leg half the chord, and the other leg the distance from the center.
  8. So \( r^2 = d^2 + \left(\dfrac{c}{2}\right)^2 \) relates radius, distance and chord length.

Where students lose marks: using the whole chord as a leg rather than half of it. The perpendicular bisects the chord, so the leg is \( \dfrac{c}{2} \). A chord of 24 in a circle of radius 13 gives a leg of 12, not 24.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Prove that a diameter perpendicular to a chord bisects it. (b) A circle of radius 13 has a chord of length 24. Find its distance from the center. (c) In the same circle, a chord is 5 from the center. Find its length. (d) Explain why the longest chord is a diameter.

Step one: set up (a). Let circle \( O \) have chord \( \overline{AB} \), and let a diameter meet it perpendicularly at \( M \). Draw radii \( \overline{OA} \) and \( \overline{OB} \).

Step two: identify congruent triangles. Triangles \( OMA \) and \( OMB \) are both right triangles, since the diameter is perpendicular to the chord at \( M \). \( \overline{OA} \cong \overline{OB} \) because all radii of a circle are congruent, so the hypotenuses match. \( \overline{OM} \cong \overline{OM} \) by the reflexive property.

Step three: conclude (a). Two right triangles with congruent hypotenuses and a congruent leg are congruent by HL, proved in lesson 5.5. So \( \triangle OMA \cong \triangle OMB \), and by CPCTC \( \overline{AM} \cong \overline{MB} \). The chord is bisected. The arcs are bisected too, since \( \angle AOM \cong \angle BOM \) by CPCTC and those are the central angles for the two half-arcs.

Step four: set up (b). The perpendicular from the center bisects the chord of 24, giving a leg of 12. The radius 13 is the hypotenuse, and the distance \( d \) is the other leg.

Step five: solve (b). \( 13^2 = d^2 + 12^2 \), so \( 169 = d^2 + 144 \) and \( d^2 = 25 \), giving \( d = 5 \). Check: this is the 5-12-13 triple. And \( 5 \lt 13 \), so the chord's distance is less than the radius, as it must be for the chord to exist. Correct.

Step six: solve (c). Now \( d = 5 \) and \( r = 13 \), so the half-chord satisfies \( 13^2 = 5^2 + \left(\dfrac{c}{2}\right)^2 \), giving \( \left(\dfrac{c}{2}\right)^2 = 169 - 25 = 144 \) and \( \dfrac{c}{2} = 12 \). The chord is \( c = 24 \). This is part (b) run backward, which is a useful check that the relationship is being used consistently.

Step seven: begin (d). Use the relationship \( \left(\dfrac{c}{2}\right)^2 = r^2 - d^2 \). The radius is fixed for a given circle, so the half-chord is largest when \( d^2 \) is smallest, meaning \( d = 0 \).

Step eight: finish (d). A distance of zero from the center means the chord passes through the center, which is the definition of a diameter. Then \( \left(\dfrac{c}{2}\right)^2 = r^2 \), so \( \dfrac{c}{2} = r \) and \( c = 2r \). So the longest chord is the diameter, of length \( 2r \). The same relationship explains the equidistance theorem in item 4 of the method: chords at equal distances from the center have equal half-chords and therefore equal lengths, and chords further from the center are shorter. That last observation is often the quickest way to compare two chords without computing either.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does a diameter perpendicular to a chord do to it?
    Show the full solution

    Bisects it, and its arc

  2. Radius 10, chord 16. Find the distance from the center.
    Show the full solution

    Half-chord 8, so \( d^2 = 100 - 64 = 36 \). 6

  3. Radius 5, chord 6. Find the distance from the center.
    Show the full solution

    Half-chord 3, so \( d^2 = 25 - 9 = 16 \). 4

  4. What is the longest possible chord?
    Show the full solution

    A diameter

  5. Two chords in one circle are equidistant from the center. What follows?
    Show the full solution

    They are congruent

  6. A circle of radius 17 has a chord 8 from the center. Find the chord's length.
    Show the full solution

    \( \left(\dfrac{c}{2}\right)^2 = 17^2 - 8^2 = 289 - 64 = 225 \), so \( \dfrac{c}{2} = 15 \) and \( c = 30 \). Check: the 8-15-17 triple. And \( 30 \lt 34 \), the diameter, as required. 30

  7. A chord of 18 is 12 from the center. Find the radius.
    Show the full solution

    Half-chord 9, distance 12, radius the hypotenuse: \( r^2 = 12^2 + 9^2 = 144 + 81 = 225 \), so \( r = 15 \). Check: the 9-12-15 triangle, which is 3-4-5 scaled by 3. Sanity check: the radius 15 exceeds the distance 12 and exceeds the half-chord 9. Correct. 15

  8. In a circle of radius 25, one chord is 7 from the center and another is 15 from the center. Which is longer, and by how much?
    Show the full solution

    First chord: \( \left(\dfrac{c}{2}\right)^2 = 625 - 49 = 576 \), so the half-chord is 24 and \( c = 48 \). Second chord: \( \left(\dfrac{c}{2}\right)^2 = 625 - 225 = 400 \), so the half-chord is 20 and \( c = 40 \). The first is longer by \( 48 - 40 = 8 \). Why that ordering was predictable. The closer a chord is to the center, the longer it is, since \( \left(\dfrac{c}{2}\right)^2 = r^2 - d^2 \) decreases as \( d \) grows. The chord 7 from the center had to be the longer one. The chord 7 from the center, longer by 8

  9. Prove that in one circle, congruent chords are equidistant from the center.
    Show the full solution

    Given. Circle \( O \) with chords \( \overline{AB} \cong \overline{CD} \). Let \( M \) and \( N \) be the feet of the perpendiculars from \( O \) to the two chords. Prove. \( OM = ON \). Step one. The perpendicular from the center bisects each chord, by the theorem proved in this lesson. So \( AM = \dfrac{1}{2}AB \) and \( CN = \dfrac{1}{2}CD \). Step two. Since \( AB = CD \), halving both gives \( AM = CN \). Step three. \( \overline{OA} \) and \( \overline{OC} \) are radii of the same circle, so \( OA = OC \). Step four. Triangles \( OMA \) and \( ONC \) are right triangles, with congruent hypotenuses from step three and a congruent leg from step two. They are congruent by HL. Step five. By CPCTC, \( \overline{OM} \cong \overline{ON} \), so the chords are equidistant from the center. The converse. It is proved by the same two triangles run in the other direction: given \( OM = ON \) and congruent hypotenuses, HL again gives congruent triangles, so \( AM = CN \) and doubling gives \( AB = CD \). A cleaner route. Both directions also follow immediately from \( \left(\dfrac{c}{2}\right)^2 = r^2 - d^2 \), since \( r \) is fixed and the equation makes \( c \) and \( d \) determine each other. The triangle proof is given because it does not depend on the Pythagorean theorem and generalizes more readily. By HL on the two right triangles formed by the perpendiculars, using congruent radii and half-chords

  10. A circular arch spans 48 feet at its base and rises 8 feet at its center. Find the radius of the circle it is part of.
    Show the full solution

    Set up. The base of the arch is a chord of length 48. The rise of 8 feet is measured from the midpoint of that chord to the highest point of the arc, which lies on the perpendicular from the center through the chord's midpoint. Locate the center. Let \( r \) be the radius. The center lies on that same perpendicular line. The distance from the center down to the chord is \( d \), and the distance from the center up to the top of the arc is \( r \), since the top is on the circle. The chord's midpoint sits 8 feet below the top of the arc, so \( d = r - 8 \). Apply the chord relationship. The half-chord is \( \dfrac{48}{2} = 24 \), so \[ r^2 = d^2 + 24^2 = (r - 8)^2 + 576 \] Solve. Expanding: \( r^2 = r^2 - 16r + 64 + 576 \). The \( r^2 \) cancels: \( 0 = -16r + 640 \), so \( 16r = 640 \) and \( r = 40 \) feet. Check. With \( r = 40 \), the distance from the center to the chord is \( 40 - 8 = 32 \). Then \( 32^2 + 24^2 = 1024 + 576 = 1600 = 40^2 \). Correct, and this is the 3-4-5 triple scaled by 8. Sanity check. The arch is broad and shallow, spanning 48 feet with only 8 feet of rise, so the circle it belongs to should be much larger than the arch itself. A radius of 40 feet gives a circle of diameter 80, and the 48-foot span is a modest chord of it. Consistent. Why this is a real technique. Masons and surveyors use exactly this calculation to find the radius of an existing arch from two measurements that are easy to take on site, the span and the rise, without ever locating the center. 40 feet

Lesson 10.3 · Unit 10 · G-C.4

The right angle that makes tangent problems solvable

A tangent touches a circle at one point, and at that point it is perpendicular to the radius. That single fact converts every tangent problem into a right triangle problem, which is why this lesson leans on unit 9.

The method
  1. A tangent line meets a circle at exactly one point, the point of tangency.
  2. A tangent is perpendicular to the radius drawn to the point of tangency.
  3. The converse holds: a line perpendicular to a radius at its endpoint on the circle is tangent.
  4. So the first move in any tangent problem is to draw that radius, which produces a right angle.
  5. Two tangent segments from the same external point are congruent.
  6. That external point, the center, and the two points of tangency form two congruent right triangles.
  7. If \( P \) is external with \( OP = D \) and the radius is \( r \), then the tangent length is \( \sqrt{D^2 - r^2} \).
  8. A circle inscribed in a polygon is tangent to every side, so the congruent tangent segments give relationships among the side lengths.

Where students lose marks: treating the distance from the external point to the center as a leg. It is the hypotenuse, since the right angle is at the point of tangency, not at the center. The tangent length is always less than the distance to the center.

Worked example

The problem. Circle \( O \) has radius 8. Point \( P \) is 17 from \( O \), and \( \overline{PA} \) and \( \overline{PB} \) are tangent at \( A \) and \( B \). (a) Find \( PA \). (b) Prove \( \overline{PA} \cong \overline{PB} \). (c) Find \( m\angle APO \). (d) A triangle has an inscribed circle, and the tangent segments from two vertices are 5 and 7, with the third vertex giving 4. Find the perimeter.

Step one: set up (a). Draw radius \( \overline{OA} \). By the tangent theorem, \( \overline{OA} \perp \overline{PA} \), so \( \triangle OAP \) has a right angle at \( A \). The hypotenuse is \( \overline{OP} \), the side opposite the right angle, with length 17.

Step two: solve (a). \( OA^2 + PA^2 = OP^2 \), so \( 64 + PA^2 = 289 \), giving \( PA^2 = 225 \) and \( PA = 15 \). Check: this is the 8-15-17 triple, and the tangent length 15 is less than the distance 17, as required.

Step three: set up (b). Draw \( \overline{OA} \), \( \overline{OB} \) and \( \overline{OP} \). Both \( \angle OAP \) and \( \angle OBP \) are right angles, by the tangent theorem.

Step four: prove (b). \( \overline{OA} \cong \overline{OB} \), since all radii are congruent. \( \overline{OP} \cong \overline{OP} \) by the reflexive property. Two right triangles with congruent hypotenuses and a congruent leg are congruent by HL, so \( \triangle OAP \cong \triangle OBP \). By CPCTC, \( \overline{PA} \cong \overline{PB} \). So \( PB = 15 \) as well.

Step five: solve (c). In right triangle \( OAP \), the angle at \( P \) has opposite side \( OA = 8 \) and hypotenuse \( OP = 17 \). \( \sin(\angle APO) = \dfrac{8}{17} \approx 0.4706 \), so \( m\angle APO \approx 28.07^\circ \).

Step six: note a consequence. By the congruence in step four, \( \angle BPO \) has the same measure, so the full angle between the two tangents is \( 2 \times 28.07 \approx 56.14^\circ \). That doubling is worth remembering: the line from the external point to the center bisects the angle between the two tangents. It follows directly from CPCTC.

Step seven: set up (d). Label the triangle's vertices \( X \), \( Y \) and \( Z \). The inscribed circle touches each side, and from each vertex two tangent segments run to the two nearby points of tangency. By the theorem just proved, those two segments are congruent. So the tangent lengths are 5 from \( X \), 7 from \( Y \) and 4 from \( Z \), each appearing twice.

Step eight: finish (d). Each side is made of two tangent segments from its two endpoints: \( XY = 5 + 7 = 12 \), \( YZ = 7 + 4 = 11 \), \( XZ = 5 + 4 = 9 \). Perimeter: \( 12 + 11 + 9 = 32 \). A faster route: each tangent length appears exactly twice in the perimeter, so \( P = 2(5 + 7 + 4) = 2(16) = 32 \). Agrees. Check the triangle inequality: \( 9 + 11 = 20 \gt 12 \). Valid. Note that the semiperimeter is \( \dfrac{32}{2} = 16 \), which equals the sum of the three tangent lengths. That is a general fact and it connects to the incircle radius formula \( r = \dfrac{\text{Area}}{s} \) from lesson 6.2.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What angle does a tangent make with the radius at the point of tangency?
    Show the full solution

    A right angle

  2. Radius 6, external point 10 from the center. Find the tangent length.
    Show the full solution

    \( \sqrt{100 - 36} = \sqrt{64} \). 8

  3. How do two tangent segments from one external point compare?
    Show the full solution

    They are congruent

  4. Radius 9, tangent length 12. Find the distance to the center.
    Show the full solution

    \( \sqrt{81 + 144} = \sqrt{225} \). 15

  5. In the right triangle formed, which side is the hypotenuse?
    Show the full solution

    The segment from the external point to the center

  6. A circle of radius 5 has a tangent from a point 13 away. Find the tangent length and the angle between the two tangents from that point.
    Show the full solution

    Tangent length: \( \sqrt{169 - 25} = \sqrt{144} = 12 \). This is the 5-12-13 triple. Half the angle at the external point: opposite side 5, hypotenuse 13, so \( \sin\theta = \dfrac{5}{13} \approx 0.3846 \) and \( \theta \approx 22.62^\circ \). Full angle: \( 2 \times 22.62 \approx 45.24^\circ \). Check: the segment to the center bisects the angle, by CPCTC on the two congruent right triangles. Tangent 12, angle about \( 45.24^\circ \)

  7. A triangle's inscribed circle gives tangent lengths of 6, 8 and 10 from its three vertices. Find the perimeter and the side lengths.
    Show the full solution

    Each side is the sum of the tangent lengths from its two endpoints: \( 6 + 8 = 14 \), \( 8 + 10 = 18 \), \( 6 + 10 = 16 \). Perimeter: \( 14 + 18 + 16 = 48 \). Faster: \( 2(6 + 8 + 10) = 2(24) = 48 \). Agrees. Triangle inequality: \( 14 + 16 = 30 \gt 18 \). Valid. Semiperimeter: 24, which equals the sum of the tangent lengths, as expected. Perimeter 48; sides 14, 16 and 18

  8. Two circles of radii 3 and 8 have centers 13 apart and a common external tangent. Find the length of that tangent between the points of tangency.
    Show the full solution

    Draw both radii to the points of tangency. Each is perpendicular to the common tangent, so the two radii are parallel by the theorem of lesson 3.5. From the smaller circle's center, draw a segment parallel to the tangent, meeting the larger radius. This creates a rectangle whose width is the tangent length \( t \) and whose height is 3, the small radius. The remaining piece of the large radius is \( 8 - 3 = 5 \), and the segment joining the centers, of length 13, is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with legs \( t \) and 5. \( t^2 = 13^2 - 5^2 = 169 - 25 = 144 \), so \( t = 12 \). Check: the 5-12-13 triple again. And 12 is less than 13, the distance between centers, as a leg must be. 12

  9. Explain why the tangent length is always shorter than the distance from the external point to the center.
    Show the full solution

    The radius to the point of tangency is perpendicular to the tangent, so the triangle formed by the external point, the center and the point of tangency has its right angle at the point of tangency. In a right triangle the hypotenuse is opposite the right angle and is the longest side, as proved in lesson 6.6. Here the hypotenuse is the segment from the external point to the center, and the tangent segment is a leg. So the tangent length is strictly less than the distance to the center, for every external point and every circle. The relationship \( t = \sqrt{D^2 - r^2} \) says the same thing algebraically: since \( r \gt 0 \), the quantity under the radical is less than \( D^2 \), so \( t \lt D \). Why the check is useful. A common error is to treat \( D \) as a leg and compute \( \sqrt{D^2 + r^2} \), which gives a tangent longer than the distance to the center. That answer is impossible and the comparison catches it at once. The right angle is at the point of tangency, so the distance to the center is the hypotenuse and the tangent is a leg

  10. A circle is inscribed in a right triangle with legs 9 and 12. Find the radius of the circle, using tangent segments.
    Show the full solution

    Find the hypotenuse. \( \sqrt{81 + 144} = \sqrt{225} = 15 \). The triangle is 9-12-15, which is 3-4-5 scaled by 3. Set up with tangent lengths. Let the tangent length from the right-angle vertex be \( r \), from the second vertex be \( y \), and from the third be \( z \). Here is why the first is \( r \): at the right-angle vertex, the two tangent segments along the legs, together with the two radii to those points of tangency, form a quadrilateral with three right angles, one from the triangle's vertex and two from the tangent-radius perpendicularity. A quadrilateral with three right angles has a fourth, so it is a rectangle, and since two adjacent sides are radii it is a square. Its side is \( r \). Write the sides. Leg of 9: \( r + y = 9 \). Leg of 12: \( r + z = 12 \). Hypotenuse: \( y + z = 15 \). Solve. Adding all three: \( 2r + 2y + 2z = 36 \), so \( r + y + z = 18 \). Subtracting the third equation: \( r = 18 - 15 = 3 \). Then \( y = 6 \) and \( z = 9 \). Check all three. \( 3 + 6 = 9 \), \( 3 + 9 = 12 \), \( 6 + 9 = 15 \). All correct. Check against the area formula. Lesson 6.2 gives \( r = \dfrac{\text{Area}}{s} \), where \( s \) is the semiperimeter. Area: \( \dfrac{1}{2}(9)(12) = 54 \). Semiperimeter: \( \dfrac{9 + 12 + 15}{2} = 18 \). \( r = \dfrac{54}{18} = 3 \). Agrees exactly. A shortcut worth knowing. For a right triangle with legs \( a \), \( b \) and hypotenuse \( c \), this argument always gives \( r = \dfrac{a + b - c}{2} \). Here \( \dfrac{9 + 12 - 15}{2} = 3 \). Confirmed. 3

Lesson 10.4 · Unit 10 · G-C.2, G-C.3

The angle that halves its arc

An inscribed angle has its vertex on the circle rather than at the center, and its measure is exactly half the arc it intercepts. Two famous consequences follow immediately: any angle inscribed in a semicircle is right, and the opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral are supplementary.

The method
  1. An inscribed angle has its vertex on the circle and its sides are chords.
  2. Its measure is half the measure of its intercepted arc.
  3. So a central angle is twice the inscribed angle on the same arc.
  4. Inscribed angles intercepting the same arc are congruent, wherever their vertices sit.
  5. An angle inscribed in a semicircle is a right angle, since the arc is \( 180^\circ \).
  6. The converse holds: if an inscribed angle is right, its intercepted arc is a semicircle, so its chord is a diameter.
  7. A cyclic quadrilateral has all four vertices on a circle, and its opposite angles are supplementary.
  8. The converse holds too, so a quadrilateral with supplementary opposite angles can be inscribed in a circle.

Where students lose marks: halving when they should double. The inscribed angle is the smaller quantity, half the arc. Given an inscribed angle of \( 35^\circ \), the arc is \( 70^\circ \). Given an arc of \( 70^\circ \), the inscribed angle is \( 35^\circ \). Deciding which is given first prevents the error.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Prove the inscribed angle theorem in the case where one side of the angle is a diameter. (b) Deduce that an angle inscribed in a semicircle is right. (c) Prove that opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral are supplementary. (d) In a cyclic quadrilateral, one angle is \( 3x + 10 \) and its opposite is \( 2x \). Find both.

Step one: set up (a). Let \( \angle BAC \) be inscribed in circle \( O \), with \( \overline{AB} \) a diameter through the center. Draw radius \( \overline{OC} \).

Step two: find the isosceles triangle. \( \overline{OA} \) and \( \overline{OC} \) are both radii, so \( \triangle OAC \) is isosceles and \( \angle OAC \cong \angle OCA \) by the isosceles triangle theorem. Let each measure \( x \). Since \( \angle OAC \) is the same as \( \angle BAC \), the inscribed angle measures \( x \).

Step three: use the exterior angle. The angle \( \angle COB \) is an exterior angle of \( \triangle OAC \) at \( O \), since \( A \), \( O \) and \( B \) are collinear on the diameter. By the exterior angle theorem of lesson 5.7, it equals the sum of the two remote interior angles: \( m\angle COB = x + x = 2x \).

Step four: conclude (a). \( \angle COB \) is a central angle intercepting \( \widehat{BC} \), so \( m\widehat{BC} = 2x \). The inscribed angle \( \angle BAC \) measures \( x \), which is half of \( 2x \). So the inscribed angle is half its intercepted arc, as claimed. The general theorem, where neither side is a diameter, is proved by drawing the diameter through \( A \) and either adding or subtracting two copies of this case, depending on whether the diameter falls inside or outside the angle.

Step five: deduce (b). If the angle is inscribed in a semicircle, its intercepted arc is the other semicircle, measuring \( 180^\circ \). By the theorem, the inscribed angle is \( \dfrac{180}{2} = 90^\circ \). It is a right angle. This result is worth remembering in the form it is usually used: if a triangle is inscribed in a circle with one side a diameter, the angle opposite that side is right.

Step six: set up (c). Let \( ABCD \) be cyclic, with all four vertices on circle \( O \). Consider the opposite angles \( \angle A \) and \( \angle C \). \( \angle A \) intercepts arc \( BCD \) and \( \angle C \) intercepts arc \( DAB \).

Step seven: finish (c). Those two arcs together make the whole circle, so \( m\widehat{BCD} + m\widehat{DAB} = 360^\circ \). By the inscribed angle theorem, \( m\angle A = \dfrac{1}{2} m\widehat{BCD} \) and \( m\angle C = \dfrac{1}{2} m\widehat{DAB} \). Adding: \( m\angle A + m\angle C = \dfrac{1}{2}(360) = 180^\circ \). The angles are supplementary. The same argument applies to \( \angle B \) and \( \angle D \), which is consistent, since all four angles of a quadrilateral sum to \( 360^\circ \).

Step eight: solve (d). Opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral are supplementary: \( (3x + 10) + 2x = 180 \), so \( 5x + 10 = 180 \), giving \( 5x = 170 \) and \( x = 34 \). The angles are \( 3(34) + 10 = 112^\circ \) and \( 2(34) = 68^\circ \). Check: \( 112 + 68 = 180 \). Correct. The intercepted arcs are twice each angle, \( 224^\circ \) and \( 136^\circ \), and \( 224 + 136 = 360 \). Consistent with step seven.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. An inscribed angle intercepts a \( 80^\circ \) arc. Find the angle.
    Show the full solution

    \( 40^\circ \)

  2. An inscribed angle measures \( 25^\circ \). Find its arc.
    Show the full solution

    \( 50^\circ \)

  3. An angle is inscribed in a semicircle. Find its measure.
    Show the full solution

    \( 90^\circ \)

  4. In a cyclic quadrilateral, one angle is \( 75^\circ \). Find its opposite.
    Show the full solution

    \( 105^\circ \)

  5. Two inscribed angles intercept the same arc. How do they compare?
    Show the full solution

    They are congruent

  6. A central angle and an inscribed angle intercept the same arc. The central angle is \( 6x \) and the inscribed angle is \( 2x + 15 \). Find both.
    Show the full solution

    The central angle equals the arc, and the inscribed angle is half the arc, so the central angle is twice the inscribed angle: \( 6x = 2(2x + 15) = 4x + 30 \), so \( 2x = 30 \) and \( x = 15 \). Central angle: \( 6(15) = 90^\circ \). Inscribed angle: \( 2(15) + 15 = 45^\circ \). Check: \( 90 = 2(45) \). Correct, and the arc measures \( 90^\circ \). \( 90^\circ \) and \( 45^\circ \)

  7. A triangle inscribed in a circle has one side as a diameter of length 26, and one leg is 10. Find the other leg.
    Show the full solution

    The angle opposite the diameter is inscribed in a semicircle, so it is a right angle. The triangle is right with hypotenuse 26. \( 10^2 + b^2 = 26^2 \), so \( b^2 = 676 - 100 = 576 \) and \( b = 24 \). Check: the 5-12-13 triple doubled. And \( 24 \lt 26 \), as a leg must be. 24

  8. In a cyclic quadrilateral, the angles in order are \( x \), \( 2x \), \( 3x - 20 \) and \( y \). Find all four.
    Show the full solution

    Opposite pairs are the first with the third, and the second with the fourth. First and third: \( x + (3x - 20) = 180 \), so \( 4x = 200 \) and \( x = 50 \). So the angles are \( 50^\circ \), \( 100^\circ \), \( 130^\circ \), and \( y \). Second and fourth: \( 100 + y = 180 \), so \( y = 80^\circ \). Check both pairs: \( 50 + 130 = 180 \) and \( 100 + 80 = 180 \). Correct. Check the total: \( 50 + 100 + 130 + 80 = 360 \). Correct, matching the quadrilateral angle sum of lesson 7.1. \( 50^\circ \), \( 100^\circ \), \( 130^\circ \), \( 80^\circ \)

  9. Explain why all inscribed angles intercepting the same arc are congruent, and why this is surprising.
    Show the full solution

    By the inscribed angle theorem, each such angle measures exactly half of its intercepted arc. If two inscribed angles intercept the same arc, that arc has one measure, so both angles are half of the same number and are therefore equal. Why it is surprising. The vertices can be anywhere on the major arc, near one endpoint of the chord or far from it, and the two triangles formed can look completely different. One may be long and thin, another nearly isosceles. Yet the angle at the vertex is identical in every case. A useful way to picture it. Imagine standing anywhere on the far side of a circular room and looking at a fixed wall panel across from you. The angle the panel subtends in your field of view is the same from every one of those positions, even though your distance to the panel changes. Where it is used. This is the standard way to prove two triangles in a circle are similar: pick two inscribed angles on the same arc, note they are congruent, find a second pair, and apply AA. Lesson 10.5 proves the intersecting-chord segment relationship exactly this way. The converse is also true and has a name. The set of points from which a fixed segment subtends a given angle is an arc, called the arc of the segment. That is the basis for locating a position from two measured angles, a technique used in navigation and surveying. Each is half the same arc, so they are all equal, regardless of how different the triangles look

  10. Prove that if a quadrilateral has supplementary opposite angles then it can be inscribed in a circle.
    Show the full solution

    Given. Quadrilateral \( ABCD \) with \( m\angle A + m\angle C = 180^\circ \). Prove. All four vertices lie on one circle. Step one: build a circle through three of them. Three points not on a line determine exactly one circle, since the perpendicular bisectors of two of the segments joining them meet at a single point equidistant from all three, as proved in lesson 6.1. Construct the circle through \( A \), \( B \) and \( D \). Step two: consider where \( C \) lies. There are three possibilities: \( C \) is on the circle, inside it, or outside it. The goal is to rule out the last two. Step three: suppose \( C \) is inside. Extend \( \overline{BC} \) to meet the circle at a point \( C' \) beyond \( C \). Then \( ABC'D \) is a cyclic quadrilateral, so \( m\angle A + m\angle BC'D = 180^\circ \) by the theorem proved in this lesson. But \( \angle BCD \) is an exterior angle of \( \triangle CC'D \) at \( C \), so it is strictly greater than the remote interior angle \( \angle BC'D \), by the exterior angle inequality. So \( m\angle A + m\angle BCD \gt 180^\circ \), contradicting the given. Step four: suppose \( C \) is outside. The symmetric argument applies. The segment \( \overline{BC} \) crosses the circle at a point between \( B \) and \( C \), and the same exterior angle comparison now runs the other way, giving \( m\angle A + m\angle BCD \lt 180^\circ \). Again a contradiction. Step five: conclude. Both alternatives are impossible, so \( C \) lies on the circle and \( ABCD \) is cyclic. Why the indirect method was necessary. There is no direct way to produce a circle from an angle condition, since the conclusion is about the existence of a curve. Building the circle through three points and then showing the fourth cannot miss it is the standard technique for converses of this kind, and lesson 2.7 introduced it as indirect proof. A consequence worth noting. Every rectangle is cyclic, since its opposite angles are both right and therefore supplementary, and the circle's center is the intersection of its diagonals. A parallelogram that is not a rectangle is not cyclic, since its opposite angles are congruent rather than supplementary, and two congruent angles are supplementary only when both are right. Build the circle through three vertices, then show by the exterior angle inequality that the fourth can be neither inside nor outside

Lesson 10.5 · Unit 10 · G-C.2

Where the vertex sits decides whether you add or subtract

When two lines cut a circle, the angle between them depends on the arcs they intercept and on where the vertex falls. Inside, the arcs are averaged. Outside, they are halved after subtracting. The segment relationships follow from similar triangles.

The method
  1. Vertex at the center: the angle equals the arc.
  2. Vertex on the circle: the angle is half the arc, which is the inscribed angle theorem.
  3. Vertex inside the circle: the angle is half the sum of the two intercepted arcs.
  4. Vertex outside the circle: the angle is half the difference of the two intercepted arcs, far minus near.
  5. The outside case covers two secants, two tangents, or one of each.
  6. Two chords crossing inside: the products of the pieces are equal, \( a \cdot b = c \cdot d \).
  7. Two secants from an outside point: whole times external equals whole times external.
  8. A tangent and a secant: the tangent squared equals whole times external.

Where students lose marks: using the external piece of a secant where the whole secant belongs. The whole secant runs from the external point to the far intersection, so it includes the external piece. A secant with external part 4 and chord part 12 has whole length 16, not 12.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Two chords cross inside a circle, intercepting arcs of \( 80^\circ \) and \( 30^\circ \). Find the angle. (b) Two secants from an external point intercept arcs of \( 100^\circ \) and \( 40^\circ \). Find the angle. (c) Two chords cross so that one is divided into 6 and 8, and the other has one piece of 4. Find the other piece. (d) A secant from an external point has external part 4 and total length 16. Find the length of the tangent from the same point.

Step one: solve (a). The vertex is inside the circle, so the angle is half the sum of the two intercepted arcs: \( \dfrac{80 + 30}{2} = \dfrac{110}{2} = 55^\circ \).

Step two: sanity check (a). The rule averages the two arcs, so the answer must lie between them. Here \( 30 \lt 55 \lt 80 \), and 55 is exactly halfway. Correct. A useful way to see why averaging is right: as the vertex slides outward toward the circle, one arc shrinks to zero and the angle approaches half the other arc, recovering the inscribed angle theorem. As the vertex moves to the center, the two arcs become equal and the angle equals either one, recovering the central angle case.

Step three: solve (b). The vertex is outside, so the angle is half the difference, far arc minus near arc: \( \dfrac{100 - 40}{2} = \dfrac{60}{2} = 30^\circ \).

Step four: check (b). The order of subtraction matters. Reversing it gives \( -30^\circ \), which is impossible, so a negative result signals the arcs were taken the wrong way round. The far arc is always the larger of the two here. Sanity check: an external angle must be smaller than an inscribed angle on the same far arc, which would be \( 50^\circ \), and \( 30 \lt 50 \). Consistent.

Step five: solve (c). When two chords cross inside, the products of the two pieces of each chord are equal: \( 6 \times 8 = 4 \times x \), so \( 48 = 4x \) and \( x = 12 \). Check: \( 6 \times 8 = 48 \) and \( 4 \times 12 = 48 \). Equal. Correct.

Step six: explain why (c) works. Label the crossing point \( E \) with chords \( \overline{AB} \) and \( \overline{CD} \) meeting there. \( \angle A \) and \( \angle C \) are inscribed angles intercepting the same arc \( \widehat{BD} \), so they are congruent by lesson 10.4. \( \angle AEC \cong \angle DEB \) as vertical angles. So \( \triangle AEC \sim \triangle DEB \) by AA, giving \( \dfrac{AE}{DE} = \dfrac{CE}{BE} \). Cross multiplying yields \( AE \cdot BE = CE \cdot DE \), which is the stated relationship.

Step seven: solve (d). For a tangent and a secant from the same external point, the tangent squared equals the whole secant times its external part: \( t^2 = 16 \times 4 = 64 \), so \( t = 8 \).

Step eight: check (d) and note the pattern. The tangent 8 is between the external part 4 and the whole secant 16, which it must be, since \( t \) is the geometric mean of those two numbers, and a geometric mean always lies between its two terms. That geometric mean framing unifies all three segment relationships. In each case, the product of the two distances from the external point along one line equals the product along the other, and a tangent counts as a line where both distances coincide, so the product is \( t \cdot t = t^2 \). Seeing the tangent as a degenerate secant, with its two intersection points merged, explains why the formula takes that form rather than being a separate rule.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Two chords cross inside, intercepting arcs of \( 60^\circ \) and \( 40^\circ \). Find the angle.
    Show the full solution

    Half the sum. \( 50^\circ \)

  2. Two secants from outside intercept arcs of \( 120^\circ \) and \( 50^\circ \). Find the angle.
    Show the full solution

    Half the difference. \( 35^\circ \)

  3. Two chords cross with pieces 3, 8 and 4, \( x \). Find \( x \).
    Show the full solution

    \( 3(8) = 4x \). 6

  4. A tangent is 6 and a secant's external part is 4. Find the whole secant.
    Show the full solution

    \( 36 = 4w \). 9

  5. For a vertex outside the circle, do you add or subtract the arcs?
    Show the full solution

    Subtract, far minus near

  6. Two secants from an external point: the first has external part 5 and chord part 11, and the second has external part 4. Find the second secant's chord part.
    Show the full solution

    Whole times external is equal for both. First: whole \( 5 + 11 = 16 \), external 5, product \( 16 \times 5 = 80 \). Second: whole \( 4 + x \), external 4, so \( 4(4 + x) = 80 \), giving \( 4 + x = 20 \) and \( x = 16 \). Check: \( 20 \times 4 = 80 \). Equal. Correct. 16

  7. A circle is cut by two chords meeting inside at \( 70^\circ \). One intercepted arc is \( 95^\circ \). Find the other.
    Show the full solution

    The angle is half the sum of the arcs: \( 70 = \dfrac{95 + x}{2} \), so \( 140 = 95 + x \) and \( x = 45^\circ \). Check: \( \dfrac{95 + 45}{2} = \dfrac{140}{2} = 70 \). Correct. Sanity check: the angle 70 lies between the two arcs 45 and 95, as an average must. \( 45^\circ \)

  8. A tangent and a secant meet outside a circle at \( 25^\circ \). The near arc is \( 70^\circ \). Find the far arc.
    Show the full solution

    The external angle is half the difference: \( 25 = \dfrac{x - 70}{2} \), so \( 50 = x - 70 \) and \( x = 120^\circ \). Check: \( \dfrac{120 - 70}{2} = \dfrac{50}{2} = 25 \). Correct. Consistency check: the tangent touches at one point, so the two arcs plus nothing else should account for the circle only if the tangent point is an endpoint of both. Here \( 120 + 70 = 190 \), leaving \( 170^\circ \) for the remaining arcs on the far side of the secant, which is fine since a tangent-secant configuration does not partition the circle into just two arcs. \( 120^\circ \)

  9. Explain why the inside case adds the arcs and the outside case subtracts them.
    Show the full solution

    Both rules come from the inscribed angle theorem plus the exterior angle theorem, applied to a triangle formed by drawing one extra chord. The inside case. Let two chords meet at \( E \) inside the circle, forming \( \angle AEC \). Draw \( \overline{AD} \), creating \( \triangle AED \). The angle \( \angle AEC \) is an exterior angle of that triangle, so it equals the sum of the two remote interior angles \( \angle A \) and \( \angle D \). Each of those is an inscribed angle, so each is half its arc. Their sum is therefore half the sum of the two arcs. Addition comes from the exterior angle being a sum. The outside case. Let two secants meet at \( P \) outside, forming \( \angle P \). Draw a chord creating a triangle with \( \angle P \) as one interior angle. Now the inscribed angle on the far arc is the exterior angle of that triangle, so it equals \( \angle P \) plus the inscribed angle on the near arc. Rearranging, \( \angle P \) is the far inscribed angle minus the near one, which is half the far arc minus half the near arc. Subtraction comes from \( \angle P \) being a remote interior angle rather than the exterior one. The unifying picture. All four cases, center, on, inside and outside, are one continuous family. Slide the vertex from the center outward: the angle starts equal to the arc, drops to half the arc as the vertex reaches the circle, and keeps shrinking toward zero as the vertex recedes. The inside rule averages two arcs and the outside rule takes half their difference, and at the boundary, where one arc is zero, both reduce to half the other arc. The formulas agree exactly where the cases meet, which is a good sign they are correctly stated. Inside, the angle is an exterior angle of a triangle and therefore a sum; outside, it is a remote interior angle and therefore a difference

  10. From an external point, a tangent measures 12 and a secant passes through the center. The circle has radius 5. Find the distance from the external point to the center, and verify the segment relationship.
    Show the full solution

    Find the distance using the tangent theorem. The tangent is perpendicular to the radius at the point of tangency, so the triangle formed by the external point, the center and the point of tangency is right, with hypotenuse the distance \( D \). \( D^2 = 12^2 + 5^2 = 144 + 25 = 169 \), so \( D = 13 \). This is the 5-12-13 triple. Identify the secant's parts. The secant passes through the center, so it is along the line from the external point to the center and beyond, and its two intersections with the circle are at distances \( D - r \) and \( D + r \) from the external point. External part: \( 13 - 5 = 8 \). Whole secant: \( 13 + 5 = 18 \). Verify the segment relationship. The rule says \( t^2 = \text{whole} \times \text{external} \). Left side: \( 12^2 = 144 \). Right side: \( 18 \times 8 = 144 \). Equal. Verified. Why this had to work. Algebraically, \( (D + r)(D - r) = D^2 - r^2 \), and the tangent theorem says exactly \( t^2 = D^2 - r^2 \). So the segment relationship, in this special case where the secant runs through the center, is just the difference of squares applied to the tangent theorem. The two results are the same fact seen from different angles. A note on the general case. For a secant that does not pass through the center, the relationship still holds but must be proved by similar triangles rather than by this shortcut. That proof uses the tangent-chord angle and an inscribed angle on the same arc to get an AA similarity. Distance 13; the relationship checks as \( 144 = 18 \times 8 \)

Lesson 10.6 · Unit 10 · G-C.5, G-GPE.1

Fractions of a circle, and the circle on the coordinate plane

An arc is a fraction of the circumference and a sector is the same fraction of the area, and in both cases the fraction is the central angle over \( 360^\circ \). The lesson closes by putting the circle on coordinates, where its equation is the distance formula in disguise.

The method
  1. Circumference is \( C = 2\pi r \) and area is \( A = \pi r^2 \).
  2. An arc of central angle \( \theta \) degrees has length \( \dfrac{\theta}{360} \cdot 2\pi r \).
  3. A sector with that angle has area \( \dfrac{\theta}{360} \cdot \pi r^2 \).
  4. Arc length is proportional to the radius for a fixed angle, which is a consequence of all circles being similar.
  5. That constant of proportionality defines the radian measure of the angle, so arc length is \( r\theta \) when \( \theta \) is in radians.
  6. One radian is the angle whose arc equals the radius, and \( \pi \) radians equal \( 180^\circ \).
  7. A circle with center \( (h, k) \) and radius \( r \) has equation \( (x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2 \).
  8. Complete the square in \( x \) and in \( y \) to convert a general second-degree equation into that form.

Where students lose marks: reading the center's signs backward. In \( (x - 3)^2 + (y + 4)^2 = 36 \), the center is \( (3, -4) \), not \( (-3, 4) \). The form subtracts the coordinates, so \( y + 4 \) means \( y - (-4) \).

Worked example

The problem. A circle has radius 9 and a central angle of \( 80^\circ \). (a) Find the arc length. (b) Find the sector area. (c) Explain why arc length is proportional to radius, and define radian measure. (d) Find the center and radius of \( x^2 + y^2 - 6x + 8y - 11 = 0 \).

Step one: solve (a). The arc is \( \dfrac{80}{360} = \dfrac{2}{9} \) of the circumference. \( C = 2\pi(9) = 18\pi \). Arc length: \( \dfrac{2}{9} \times 18\pi = 4\pi \approx 12.57 \).

Step two: check (a). The full circumference is about 56.55, and \( \dfrac{2}{9} \) of that is about 12.57. Agrees. Sanity check: an \( 80^\circ \) arc is a bit less than a quarter of the circle, and 12.57 is a bit less than \( \dfrac{56.55}{4} \approx 14.14 \). Consistent.

Step three: solve (b). The sector is the same fraction of the area. \( A = \pi(9)^2 = 81\pi \). Sector area: \( \dfrac{2}{9} \times 81\pi = 18\pi \approx 56.55 \). Note the coincidence of numbers: the sector area \( 18\pi \) happens to equal the whole circumference \( 18\pi \) here, but those are different quantities with different units and the match is accidental.

Step four: begin (c). Fix a central angle \( \theta \) and consider circles of different radii. The arc length is \( \dfrac{\theta}{360} \cdot 2\pi r \), and everything except \( r \) is a constant once \( \theta \) is fixed. So arc length is a constant multiple of \( r \), which is what proportionality means.

Step five: connect to similarity. This is the similarity of all circles at work. Scaling a circle by a factor \( k \) scales every length in the figure by \( k \), including arcs, while leaving angles unchanged. So the ratio \( \dfrac{\text{arc length}}{\text{radius}} \) is the same for every circle with that central angle.

Step six: define the radian and finish (c). That shared ratio is taken as the angle's radian measure: \( \theta_{\text{rad}} = \dfrac{\text{arc length}}{r} \), so arc length is \( r\theta_{\text{rad}} \). One radian is the angle for which the arc equals the radius. The full circle has circumference \( 2\pi r \), so it measures \( \dfrac{2\pi r}{r} = 2\pi \) radians, making \( 360^\circ = 2\pi \) radians and \( 180^\circ = \pi \) radians. Checking the worked example: \( 80^\circ = 80 \times \dfrac{\pi}{180} = \dfrac{4\pi}{9} \) radians, and \( r\theta = 9 \times \dfrac{4\pi}{9} = 4\pi \). Matches part (a) exactly.

Step seven: begin (d) by completing the square. Group the terms: \( (x^2 - 6x) + (y^2 + 8y) = 11 \). For \( x \), half of \( -6 \) is \( -3 \) and \( (-3)^2 = 9 \). For \( y \), half of 8 is 4 and \( 4^2 = 16 \). Add both to each side: \( (x^2 - 6x + 9) + (y^2 + 8y + 16) = 11 + 9 + 16 \).

Step eight: finish (d). \( (x - 3)^2 + (y + 4)^2 = 36 \). The center is \( (3, -4) \) and the radius is \( \sqrt{36} = 6 \). Check by substituting a point that should be on the circle. Moving 6 to the right of the center gives \( (9, -4) \): \( 81 + 16 - 54 - 32 - 11 = 0 \). Correct. The equation is nothing more than the distance formula. Saying that \( (x, y) \) is 6 units from \( (3, -4) \) means \( \sqrt{(x - 3)^2 + (y + 4)^2} = 6 \), and squaring both sides gives the equation above. That is why the circle's equation looks the way it does: it is the definition of a circle, written in coordinates.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning. Leave answers in terms of \( \pi \) where exact.

  1. Find the circumference of a circle of radius 5.
    Show the full solution

    \( 10\pi \)

  2. Find the area of a circle of radius 5.
    Show the full solution

    \( 25\pi \)

  3. Find the length of a \( 90^\circ \) arc in a circle of radius 8.
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{1}{4}(16\pi) \). \( 4\pi \)

  4. Find the center of \( (x + 2)^2 + (y - 5)^2 = 49 \).
    Show the full solution

    \( (-2, 5) \)

  5. Find its radius.
    Show the full solution

    7

  6. A sector of a circle of radius 12 has area \( 24\pi \). Find its central angle.
    Show the full solution

    The whole area is \( \pi(144) = 144\pi \). The sector is \( \dfrac{24\pi}{144\pi} = \dfrac{1}{6} \) of the circle. \( \dfrac{1}{6} \times 360 = 60^\circ \). Check: \( \dfrac{60}{360} \times 144\pi = \dfrac{1}{6}(144\pi) = 24\pi \). Correct. \( 60^\circ \)

  7. Find the center and radius of \( x^2 + y^2 + 10x - 4y + 13 = 0 \).
    Show the full solution

    Group: \( (x^2 + 10x) + (y^2 - 4y) = -13 \). Half of 10 is 5, squared is 25. Half of \( -4 \) is \( -2 \), squared is 4. \( (x^2 + 10x + 25) + (y^2 - 4y + 4) = -13 + 25 + 4 = 16 \). \( (x + 5)^2 + (y - 2)^2 = 16 \). Center \( (-5, 2) \), radius 4. Check with the point \( (-1, 2) \), which is 4 to the right of the center: \( 1 + 4 - 10 - 8 + 13 = 0 \). Correct. Center \( (-5, 2) \), radius 4

  8. A circle of radius 10 has a sector with arc length \( 5\pi \). Find the sector's area.
    Show the full solution

    Find the fraction of the circle first. The circumference is \( 2\pi(10) = 20\pi \), so the arc is \( \dfrac{5\pi}{20\pi} = \dfrac{1}{4} \) of it. The sector is the same fraction of the area: \( \dfrac{1}{4} \times 100\pi = 25\pi \approx 78.54 \). Check via the angle: \( \dfrac{1}{4} \) of \( 360^\circ \) is \( 90^\circ \), and \( \dfrac{90}{360}(100\pi) = 25\pi \). Agrees. A second route: the sector's area is \( \dfrac{1}{2} \times \text{arc length} \times r = \dfrac{1}{2}(5\pi)(10) = 25\pi \). Agrees, and that formula is the circular analogue of the triangle area formula. \( 25\pi \approx 78.54 \)

  9. Explain why the equation of a circle is really the distance formula.
    Show the full solution

    A circle is defined as the set of all points at a fixed distance \( r \) from a fixed center \( (h, k) \). Writing that condition in coordinates means writing that the distance from \( (x, y) \) to \( (h, k) \) equals \( r \). The distance formula of lesson 1.2 gives that distance as \( \sqrt{(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2} \), so the condition is \[ \sqrt{(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2} = r \] Squaring both sides, which is safe because both sides are nonnegative, gives \( (x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2 \). What follows from seeing it this way. The signs stop being arbitrary. The formula subtracts coordinates because distance is a difference, so \( (y + 4)^2 \) must mean \( (y - (-4))^2 \) and the center's \( y \)-coordinate is \( -4 \). Reading the signs backward is much harder once the subtraction has a reason. The right side is \( r^2 \) rather than \( r \) because the squaring removed a radical, which is why the radius is the square root of the constant and not the constant itself. And it explains completing the square. The general form \( x^2 + y^2 + Dx + Ey + F = 0 \) is the same equation expanded, so completing the square simply undoes the expansion and recovers the center and radius. If the constant on the right comes out negative, no point satisfies the equation and there is no circle, which the distance interpretation makes obvious: no distance has a negative square. It states that every point on the circle is exactly \( r \) from the center, with the distance formula squared on both sides

  10. A circular pizza of diameter 16 inches is cut into 8 equal slices. Find the arc length and area of one slice, then find the perimeter of a slice and compare it with the arc length.
    Show the full solution

    Set up. The diameter is 16, so the radius is 8. Each of the 8 slices is a sector with central angle \( \dfrac{360}{8} = 45^\circ \), which is \( \dfrac{1}{8} \) of the circle. Arc length of one slice. The full circumference is \( 2\pi(8) = 16\pi \). One slice: \( \dfrac{1}{8}(16\pi) = 2\pi \approx 6.28 \) inches. Area of one slice. The full area is \( \pi(64) = 64\pi \). One slice: \( \dfrac{1}{8}(64\pi) = 8\pi \approx 25.13 \) square inches. Check the total. Eight slices give \( 8 \times 8\pi = 64\pi \), the whole pizza. Correct. Perimeter of one slice. A slice is bounded by two radii and the arc: \( 8 + 8 + 2\pi = 16 + 2\pi \approx 22.28 \) inches. The comparison. The crust, meaning the arc, is only about 6.28 inches of a 22.28-inch perimeter, roughly 28 percent. The two straight cut edges account for the rest. Why that ratio is worth noticing. Cutting the pizza into more slices leaves the total crust unchanged at \( 16\pi \), since the outer edge does not move, but it adds more cut edges. Sixteen slices would have the same total crust spread over twice as many pieces, with each slice's arc halved to \( \pi \) while its two radii stay 8 inches each. So the more slices, the smaller the fraction of each slice's perimeter that is crust. Sanity check on area. A 16-inch pizza has area about 201 square inches, and \( \dfrac{201}{8} \approx 25.1 \). Matches the slice area found above. Arc \( 2\pi \approx 6.28 \) in, area \( 8\pi \approx 25.13 \) sq in, perimeter \( 16 + 2\pi \approx 22.28 \) in, of which about 28 percent is crust

Unit 10 mixed review · 10 problems · all topics

Unit 10: Circles

Where the vertex sits decides the rule. Check whether it is at the center, on the circle, inside or outside before choosing a formula.

  1. A central angle measures \( 110^\circ \). Find its intercepted arc.
    Show the full solution

    \( 110^\circ \)

  2. An inscribed angle intercepts a \( 96^\circ \) arc. Find the angle.
    Show the full solution

    Half the arc. \( 48^\circ \)

  3. A circle of radius 10 has a chord of length 12. Find the chord's distance from the center.
    Show the full solution

    Half-chord 6, so \( d^2 = 100 - 36 = 64 \). 8

  4. What is the relationship between a tangent and the radius at the point of tangency?
    Show the full solution

    They are perpendicular

  5. One angle of a cyclic quadrilateral measures \( 85^\circ \). Find its opposite.
    Show the full solution

    Opposite angles are supplementary. \( 95^\circ \)

  6. Two chords cross inside a circle. One is divided into 4 and 10, and the other has a piece of 5. Find the remaining piece.
    Show the full solution

    The products of the pieces are equal: \( 4 \times 10 = 5 \times x \), so \( 40 = 5x \) and \( x = 8 \). Check: \( 4 \times 10 = 40 \) and \( 5 \times 8 = 40 \). Equal. Correct. 8

  7. A tangent from an external point measures 15, and a secant from the same point has external part 9. Find the secant's whole length and its chord part.
    Show the full solution

    The tangent squared equals whole times external: \( 15^2 = 9w \), so \( 225 = 9w \) and \( w = 25 \). The chord part is \( 25 - 9 = 16 \). Check: \( 25 \times 9 = 225 = 15^2 \). Correct. Sanity check: the tangent 15 lies between the external part 9 and the whole 25, which it must, since it is their geometric mean. Whole 25, chord part 16

  8. A circle has radius 12 and a central angle of \( 150^\circ \). Find the arc length and the sector area.
    Show the full solution

    The fraction of the circle is \( \dfrac{150}{360} = \dfrac{5}{12} \). Circumference: \( 2\pi(12) = 24\pi \). Arc length: \( \dfrac{5}{12}(24\pi) = 10\pi \approx 31.42 \). Area: \( \pi(144) = 144\pi \). Sector area: \( \dfrac{5}{12}(144\pi) = 60\pi \approx 188.50 \). Check with the alternative sector formula \( \dfrac{1}{2} \times \text{arc} \times r = \dfrac{1}{2}(10\pi)(12) = 60\pi \). Agrees. Arc \( 10\pi \approx 31.42 \), sector \( 60\pi \approx 188.50 \)

  9. Find the center and radius of \( x^2 + y^2 + 4x - 12y + 15 = 0 \).
    Show the full solution

    Group the terms: \( (x^2 + 4x) + (y^2 - 12y) = -15 \). Half of 4 is 2, squared is 4. Half of \( -12 \) is \( -6 \), squared is 36. \( (x^2 + 4x + 4) + (y^2 - 12y + 36) = -15 + 4 + 36 = 25 \). \( (x + 2)^2 + (y - 6)^2 = 25 \). Center \( (-2, 6) \), radius 5. Watch the signs. The form subtracts the center's coordinates, so \( (x + 2)^2 \) means \( (x - (-2))^2 \) and the \( x \)-coordinate is \( -2 \). Check with a point. Moving 5 to the right of the center gives \( (3, 6) \). Substituting: \( 9 + 36 + 12 - 72 + 15 = 0 \). Correct. Center \( (-2, 6) \), radius 5

  10. Two secants from an external point intercept arcs of \( 140^\circ \) and \( 50^\circ \). Find the angle at the external point, then find the inscribed angles on each arc and explain how the three values are related.
    Show the full solution

    The external angle. The vertex is outside, so the angle is half the difference of the arcs, far minus near: \( \dfrac{140 - 50}{2} = \dfrac{90}{2} = 45^\circ \). The two inscribed angles. An inscribed angle is half its arc. On the far arc: \( \dfrac{140}{2} = 70^\circ \). On the near arc: \( \dfrac{50}{2} = 25^\circ \). The relationship. \( 70 - 25 = 45 \), which is exactly the external angle. That is not a coincidence. Draw the chord joining the far intersection of one secant to the near intersection of the other, forming a triangle with the external point. The inscribed angle on the far arc is an exterior angle of that triangle, so by the exterior angle theorem it equals the sum of the two remote interior angles: the external angle and the inscribed angle on the near arc. Rearranging, the external angle is the difference of the two inscribed angles, which is half the difference of the two arcs. Why the subtraction order is forced. The far arc's inscribed angle is the exterior one, so it is the larger. Reversing the subtraction gives \( -45^\circ \), which no angle can measure, so a negative result is an immediate signal that the arcs were taken the wrong way round. A check by comparison. The external angle must be smaller than the inscribed angle on the far arc, since the vertex has moved outward away from the circle. Here \( 45 \lt 70 \). Consistent, and the same comparison holds in every case. A related limiting case. If the two arcs were equal, the external angle would be \( 0^\circ \), which corresponds to the two secants coinciding. If the near arc shrank to nothing, the external angle would become half the far arc, recovering the inscribed angle. The formula behaves sensibly at both extremes. \( 45^\circ \); it is the difference \( 70^\circ - 25^\circ \) of the two inscribed angles, by the exterior angle theorem

Lesson 11.1 · Unit 11 · G-GPE.7

One formula, rearranged five ways

Every area formula in this lesson comes from the rectangle. A parallelogram is a rectangle with a piece moved, a triangle is half a parallelogram, and a trapezoid is the average of two rectangles. Seeing the derivations makes the formulas hard to confuse.

The method
  1. Rectangle: \( A = bh \), which is taken as the starting point.
  2. Parallelogram: \( A = bh \), where \( h \) is the perpendicular height, not the slanted side.
  3. Triangle: \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}bh \), since two copies form a parallelogram.
  4. Trapezoid: \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}(b_1 + b_2)h \), the average of the bases times the height.
  5. Rhombus or kite: \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}d_1 d_2 \), half the product of the diagonals, which works because the diagonals are perpendicular.
  6. Heron's formula gives a triangle's area from its three sides: \( A = \sqrt{s(s - a)(s - b)(s - c)} \) where \( s \) is the semiperimeter.
  7. Trigonometric form: \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}ab\sin C \) for two sides and their included angle.
  8. The height must be perpendicular to the base in every one of these.

Where students lose marks: using a slanted side as the height. A parallelogram with sides 10 and 6 and a perpendicular height of 5 has area \( 10 \times 5 = 50 \), not \( 10 \times 6 = 60 \). The side is only the height when the figure is a rectangle.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Derive the parallelogram and triangle formulas from the rectangle. (b) Derive the trapezoid formula. (c) Find the area of a trapezoid with bases 8 and 14 and height 6, and a kite with diagonals 10 and 16. (d) Find the area of a triangle with sides 13, 14 and 15 two different ways.

Step one: derive the parallelogram formula. Take a parallelogram with base \( b \) and perpendicular height \( h \). Cut off the right triangle at one end, from the base to the top vertex, and slide it to the other end. The two cut edges match, since opposite sides of a parallelogram are congruent, so the result is a rectangle with the same base \( b \) and the same height \( h \). Cutting and sliding preserves area, so the parallelogram's area is \( bh \).

Step two: derive the triangle formula. Take a triangle with base \( b \) and height \( h \). Make a second copy, rotate it \( 180^\circ \), and join it to the first along a side. The result is a parallelogram with base \( b \) and height \( h \), so its area is \( bh \). The triangle is half of it, giving \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}bh \). That two-copies argument is why the one-half appears, and it is worth recalling rather than memorizing the fraction.

Step three: derive the trapezoid formula for (b). Take a trapezoid with parallel bases \( b_1 \) and \( b_2 \) and height \( h \). Make a second copy, rotate it \( 180^\circ \), and join it to the first. The two trapezoids fit together into a parallelogram whose base is \( b_1 + b_2 \) and whose height is \( h \).

Step four: finish (b). The parallelogram's area is \( (b_1 + b_2)h \), and the trapezoid is half of it: \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}(b_1 + b_2)h \). Read as the average of the bases times the height, the formula also handles the degenerate cases sensibly: if \( b_1 = b_2 \) it becomes \( bh \), the parallelogram, and if \( b_2 = 0 \) it becomes \( \dfrac{1}{2}b_1 h \), the triangle.

Step five: compute the trapezoid in (c). \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}(8 + 14)(6) = \dfrac{1}{2}(22)(6) = 66 \). Sanity check: the trapezoid's area lies between that of a rectangle of base 8 and one of base 14, both with height 6, that is between 48 and 84. And 66 is the midpoint. Correct.

Step six: compute the kite in (c). \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}(10)(16) = 80 \). Why this works: a kite's diagonals are perpendicular, proved in lesson 7.4, so the kite fits exactly inside a rectangle whose sides are the two diagonals, and it fills half of it. The same reasoning covers a rhombus, since a rhombus is a kite.

Step seven: solve (d) with Heron's formula. The semiperimeter is \( s = \dfrac{13 + 14 + 15}{2} = 21 \). \( A = \sqrt{21(21 - 13)(21 - 14)(21 - 15)} = \sqrt{21 \times 8 \times 7 \times 6} \). \( 21 \times 8 = 168 \), and \( 7 \times 6 = 42 \), and \( 168 \times 42 = 7056 \). \( A = \sqrt{7056} = 84 \).

Step eight: solve (d) the second way and compare. Take 14 as the base and find the height to it. Drop the altitude, splitting the base into pieces \( x \) and \( 14 - x \). From the two right triangles: \( 13^2 - x^2 = 15^2 - (14 - x)^2 \). \( 169 - x^2 = 225 - 196 + 28x - x^2 \), so \( 169 = 29 + 28x \), giving \( 28x = 140 \) and \( x = 5 \). Then \( h = \sqrt{169 - 25} = \sqrt{144} = 12 \). Area: \( \dfrac{1}{2}(14)(12) = 84 \). Agrees with Heron exactly. The second method also reveals the structure: this triangle is two right triangles, 5-12-13 and 9-12-15, glued along the altitude of 12. That is why the side lengths are so clean.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Find the area of a triangle with base 12 and height 5.
    Show the full solution

    30

  2. Find the area of a parallelogram with base 9 and height 4.
    Show the full solution

    36

  3. Find the area of a trapezoid with bases 5 and 11 and height 4.
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{1}{2}(16)(4) \). 32

  4. Find the area of a rhombus with diagonals 6 and 8.
    Show the full solution

    24

  5. In a parallelogram, is the height the slanted side?
    Show the full solution

    No, it is the perpendicular distance between the bases

  6. A triangle has sides 9, 10 and 17. Find its area by Heron's formula.
    Show the full solution

    Triangle inequality: \( 9 + 10 = 19 \gt 17 \). Valid. \( s = \dfrac{9 + 10 + 17}{2} = 18 \). \( A = \sqrt{18(18 - 9)(18 - 10)(18 - 17)} = \sqrt{18 \times 9 \times 8 \times 1} \). \( 18 \times 9 = 162 \), and \( 162 \times 8 = 1296 \). \( A = \sqrt{1296} = 36 \). Sanity check: the triangle is nearly degenerate, since \( 9 + 10 \) barely exceeds 17, so a small area relative to the side lengths is expected. 36

  7. A parallelogram has sides 12 and 7 with a \( 30^\circ \) angle between them. Find its area.
    Show the full solution

    The height to the base of 12 is the opposite side times the sine of the included angle: \( h = 7 \sin 30^\circ = 7(0.5) = 3.5 \). Area: \( 12 \times 3.5 = 42 \). Check with the trigonometric form, which for a parallelogram is \( ab\sin C \) without the one-half: \( 12 \times 7 \times 0.5 = 42 \). Agrees. Note that using 7 as the height would give 84, exactly double, which is the error the method warns about. 42

  8. A trapezoid has area 90, height 9 and one base 12. Find the other base.
    Show the full solution

    \( 90 = \dfrac{1}{2}(12 + b)(9) \). Multiply both sides by 2: \( 180 = 9(12 + b) \). Divide by 9: \( 20 = 12 + b \), so \( b = 8 \). Check: \( \dfrac{1}{2}(12 + 8)(9) = \dfrac{1}{2}(20)(9) = 90 \). Correct. 8

  9. Explain why every area formula in this lesson can be traced back to the rectangle.
    Show the full solution

    The rectangle is the base case because area is defined by counting unit squares, and a rectangle with whole-number sides holds exactly \( bh \) of them in a grid. The formula extends to non-integer sides by a limiting argument. Parallelogram. Cut off a right triangle at one end and slide it to the other. The pieces are congruent to what they replace, so the area is unchanged, and the result is a rectangle of the same base and height. Triangle. Two congruent copies, one rotated \( 180^\circ \), make a parallelogram of the same base and height, so the triangle is half of \( bh \). Trapezoid. Two congruent copies, one rotated, make a parallelogram of base \( b_1 + b_2 \), so the trapezoid is half of \( (b_1 + b_2)h \). Kite and rhombus. The perpendicular diagonals put the figure inside a rectangle with sides \( d_1 \) and \( d_2 \), and it occupies exactly half. Why this matters more than the formulas. The derivations use only two operations, cutting and rearranging without overlap, and duplicating and rotating. Both preserve area, which is the assumption underlying all of plane measurement. Knowing the route back means a forgotten formula can be rebuilt in under a minute, and it explains why the perpendicular height appears everywhere: it is the dimension the rectangle measures. Each figure is cut and rearranged into a rectangle, or doubled into one, and both operations preserve area

  10. A quadrilateral has vertices \( (0, 0) \), \( (6, 0) \), \( (8, 5) \) and \( (2, 5) \). Identify it and find its area three ways.
    Show the full solution

    Identify the figure. Compute the four sides using the distance formula. From \( (0,0) \) to \( (6,0) \): length 6, horizontal. From \( (2,5) \) to \( (8,5) \): length 6, horizontal. From \( (6,0) \) to \( (8,5) \): \( \sqrt{4 + 25} = \sqrt{29} \). From \( (0,0) \) to \( (2,5) \): \( \sqrt{4 + 25} = \sqrt{29} \). Both pairs of opposite sides are congruent, and the two horizontal sides have the same slope of 0 while the other two both have slope \( \dfrac{5}{2} \). So both pairs are parallel and the figure is a parallelogram, by the tests of lesson 7.3. It is not a rectangle, since the sides are not perpendicular, and not a rhombus, since \( 6 \neq \sqrt{29} \approx 5.39 \). First method: base times height. Take the base as the horizontal side of length 6. The height is the vertical distance between the two horizontal sides, which is \( 5 - 0 = 5 \). Area: \( 6 \times 5 = 30 \). Second method: split into two triangles. The diagonal from \( (0,0) \) to \( (8,5) \) splits the figure into triangles with vertices \( (0,0) \), \( (6,0) \), \( (8,5) \) and \( (0,0) \), \( (8,5) \), \( (2,5) \). The first has base 6 along the \( x \)-axis and height 5, so its area is \( \dfrac{1}{2}(6)(5) = 15 \). The second has base 6 along the line \( y = 5 \) and height 5, so its area is also 15. Total: \( 15 + 15 = 30 \). Agrees. Third method: enclosing rectangle. The figure fits inside the rectangle from \( (0,0) \) to \( (8,5) \), of area \( 8 \times 5 = 40 \). The two corner triangles outside the parallelogram each have legs 2 and 5, so each has area \( \dfrac{1}{2}(2)(5) = 5 \), and together 10. \( 40 - 10 = 30 \). Agrees. Why three methods agree. Each uses only cutting, rearranging and subtracting regions, which preserve area. Agreement across independent routes is the strongest available check that no side was mislabeled and no height taken from the wrong segment. A parallelogram of area 30

Lesson 11.2 · Unit 11 · G-MG.1

Cutting a polygon into triangles, and a figure into pieces you know

A regular polygon splits into congruent isosceles triangles from its center, and that single decomposition gives its area formula. Composite figures use the same idea less formally: break the shape into parts whose areas are already known, then add or subtract.

The method
  1. The center of a regular polygon is the common center of its inscribed and circumscribed circles.
  2. The apothem is the perpendicular distance from the center to a side, which is the inscribed circle's radius.
  3. Segments from the center to the vertices cut the polygon into \( n \) congruent isosceles triangles.
  4. Each has base \( s \) and height \( a \), so its area is \( \dfrac{1}{2}as \).
  5. Summing gives \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}ans = \dfrac{1}{2}ap \), where \( p = ns \) is the perimeter.
  6. The central angle of each triangle is \( \dfrac{360}{n} \), and the apothem splits it in half.
  7. So \( a = \dfrac{s}{2\tan(180/n)} \) when only the side length is known.
  8. For a composite figure, decompose into rectangles, triangles, sectors and circles, then add, or subtract for holes.

Where students lose marks: using the radius to a vertex where the apothem belongs. The apothem goes to the midpoint of a side and is shorter than the radius. In a regular hexagon of side 8, the radius is 8 and the apothem is about 6.93.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Derive \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}ap \). (b) Find the area of a regular hexagon with side 8. (c) Find the area of a regular pentagon with side 10. (d) A rectangle 20 by 12 has a semicircle of diameter 12 removed from one short end and a semicircle of the same size added to the other. Find the resulting area.

Step one: set up (a). Take a regular polygon with \( n \) sides of length \( s \), center \( O \) and apothem \( a \). Draw segments from \( O \) to every vertex. Each resulting triangle has two sides that are radii of the circumscribed circle and a base that is a side of the polygon. Since the polygon is regular, all \( n \) triangles are congruent by SSS.

Step two: finish (a). The apothem is the perpendicular from \( O \) to a side, so it is the height of each triangle relative to the base \( s \). One triangle: \( \dfrac{1}{2}as \). All \( n \) of them: \( n \cdot \dfrac{1}{2}as = \dfrac{1}{2}a(ns) = \dfrac{1}{2}ap \), since the perimeter is \( p = ns \).

Step three: find the hexagon's apothem for (b). The central angle of each triangle is \( \dfrac{360}{6} = 60^\circ \), and the apothem bisects it into two \( 30^\circ \) angles. In the right triangle formed, the leg opposite the \( 30^\circ \) angle is half the side, that is 4, and the apothem is the other leg. This is a \( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \) triangle, so the apothem is \( 4\sqrt{3} \approx 6.928 \).

Step four: compute (b). The perimeter is \( 6 \times 8 = 48 \). \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}(4\sqrt{3})(48) = 96\sqrt{3} \approx 166.28 \). Check a different way: the hexagon is six equilateral triangles of side 8, each of area \( \dfrac{1}{2}(8)(4\sqrt{3}) = 16\sqrt{3} \), so \( 6 \times 16\sqrt{3} = 96\sqrt{3} \). Agrees.

Step five: find the pentagon's apothem for (c). The central angle is \( \dfrac{360}{5} = 72^\circ \), halved by the apothem to \( 36^\circ \). In the right triangle, the side opposite the \( 36^\circ \) angle is half the side, that is 5, and the apothem is adjacent. \( \tan 36^\circ = \dfrac{5}{a} \), so \( a = \dfrac{5}{\tan 36^\circ} \). With \( \tan 36^\circ \approx 0.7265 \): \( a \approx \dfrac{5}{0.7265} \approx 6.882 \).

Step six: compute (c). The perimeter is \( 5 \times 10 = 50 \). \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}(6.882)(50) \approx 172.05 \). Sanity check: the pentagon fits inside its circumscribed circle. The radius is \( \sqrt{6.882^2 + 5^2} \approx \sqrt{47.36 + 25} \approx 8.506 \), so the circle's area is about \( \pi(72.36) \approx 227.3 \). The pentagon's 172.05 is about 76 percent of that, which is right for a pentagon. Consistent.

Step seven: set up (d). One semicircle is removed and an identical one is added. Both have diameter 12, so radius 6, and both have the same area.

Step eight: finish (d). Since the removed and added pieces are congruent, their areas cancel exactly: \( A = 20 \times 12 - \dfrac{1}{2}\pi(6)^2 + \dfrac{1}{2}\pi(6)^2 = 240 \). Confirming with the numbers: each semicircle has area \( 18\pi \approx 56.55 \), and \( 240 - 56.55 + 56.55 = 240 \). The answer is exactly the rectangle's area, and no value of \( \pi \) is needed. This is the shape of a running track's infield or a tile that tessellates, and recognizing the cancellation before computing saves the work. A composite figure problem is often simplest when the pieces are compared rather than computed.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is the apothem?
    Show the full solution

    The perpendicular distance from the center to a side

  2. A regular polygon has apothem 5 and perimeter 40. Find its area.
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{1}{2}(5)(40) \). 100

  3. Find the central angle of a regular octagon.
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{360}{8} \). \( 45^\circ \)

  4. A regular hexagon has side 10. Find its perimeter.
    Show the full solution

    60

  5. Which is longer, the apothem or the radius to a vertex?
    Show the full solution

    The radius

  6. A regular octagon has side 6. Find its apothem and area.
    Show the full solution

    The central angle is \( \dfrac{360}{8} = 45^\circ \), halved to \( 22.5^\circ \). Half the side is 3, opposite that angle, with the apothem adjacent: \( a = \dfrac{3}{\tan 22.5^\circ} \approx \dfrac{3}{0.4142} \approx 7.243 \). Perimeter: \( 8 \times 6 = 48 \). \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}(7.243)(48) \approx 173.8 \). Sanity check: the octagon is close to its circumscribed circle. The radius is \( \sqrt{7.243^2 + 3^2} \approx 7.840 \), giving a circle area of about 193.1, and the octagon's 173.8 is about 90 percent of it. Right for an octagon. Apothem about 7.243, area about 173.8

  7. A square of side 14 has a circle of diameter 14 inscribed in it. Find the area left over.
    Show the full solution

    Square: \( 14^2 = 196 \). Circle: radius 7, area \( 49\pi \approx 153.94 \). Left over: \( 196 - 49\pi \approx 196 - 153.94 = 42.06 \). Check as a fraction: the circle occupies \( \dfrac{49\pi}{196} = \dfrac{\pi}{4} \approx 0.785 \) of the square, so about 21.5 percent is left, and \( \dfrac{42.06}{196} \approx 0.215 \). Consistent. That fraction \( \dfrac{\pi}{4} \) is the same for every square with an inscribed circle, since all such figures are similar. \( 196 - 49\pi \approx 42.06 \)

  8. A figure consists of a rectangle 30 by 16 with a quarter circle of radius 16 removed from one corner. Find its area.
    Show the full solution

    Rectangle: \( 30 \times 16 = 480 \). Quarter circle: \( \dfrac{1}{4}\pi(16)^2 = 64\pi \approx 201.06 \). Remaining: \( 480 - 64\pi \approx 480 - 201.06 = 278.94 \). Sanity check: the removed quarter circle has radius equal to the rectangle's shorter side, so it reaches all the way across, removing a substantial piece. It takes about 42 percent of the rectangle, which is plausible for a quarter circle spanning the full width. A check on feasibility: the quarter circle of radius 16 fits, since the rectangle is 30 long and 16 wide, and \( 16 \le 30 \) and \( 16 \le 16 \). It just fits. \( 480 - 64\pi \approx 278.94 \)

  9. Explain why the formula \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}ap \) resembles the circle's area formula.
    Show the full solution

    Write the circle's area as \( A = \pi r^2 \) and note that its circumference is \( C = 2\pi r \). Then \( \dfrac{1}{2}rC = \dfrac{1}{2}r(2\pi r) = \pi r^2 = A \). So a circle satisfies \( A = \dfrac{1}{2} \times \text{radius} \times \text{circumference} \), which is exactly the polygon formula with the apothem playing the part of the radius and the circumference playing the part of the perimeter. Why the resemblance is not a coincidence. A regular polygon with many sides is nearly a circle. As \( n \) grows, the perimeter approaches the circumference and the apothem approaches the radius, since the sides get short and lie close to the circle. The polygon formula therefore approaches the circle formula in the limit. The historical route. This is essentially how Archimedes obtained bounds on \( \pi \), by computing the perimeters of inscribed and circumscribed regular polygons with more and more sides until the two values pinned \( \pi \) into a narrow interval. A check with real numbers. A regular polygon with 100 sides inscribed in a circle of radius 1 has apothem \( \cos(1.8^\circ) \approx 0.99951 \) and perimeter \( 100 \times 2\sin(1.8^\circ) \approx 6.2822 \), giving area about 3.1395. The circle's area is \( \pi \approx 3.1416 \). Close, and the gap shrinks as \( n \) grows. Both say area equals half the distance from the center to the boundary times the boundary's length; the circle is the limit of regular polygons

  10. A running track has a rectangular infield 84 m by 60 m with a semicircular end at each of the two short sides. Find the infield's total area and the track's inner perimeter, then find how much longer the outer lane is if the track is 8 m wide.
    Show the full solution

    The infield area. Two semicircles of diameter 60 make one full circle of radius 30. Rectangle: \( 84 \times 60 = 5040 \) square meters. Circle: \( \pi(30)^2 = 900\pi \approx 2827.43 \) square meters. Total: \( 5040 + 900\pi \approx 7867.43 \) square meters. The inner perimeter. The two straight sides are the long sides of the rectangle, each 84 m. The two semicircular ends together form a full circle of radius 30, with circumference \( 2\pi(30) = 60\pi \). Perimeter: \( 2(84) + 60\pi = 168 + 60\pi \approx 168 + 188.50 = 356.50 \) meters. Note that the rectangle's short sides are not part of the perimeter, since the semicircles replace them. The outer lane. A lane 8 m further out has the same two straight sections of 84 m each, since moving outward does not lengthen a straight side, but its curved ends have radius \( 30 + 8 = 38 \). Outer perimeter: \( 168 + 2\pi(38) = 168 + 76\pi \approx 168 + 238.76 = 406.76 \) meters. The difference. \( 406.76 - 356.50 = 50.27 \) meters. Exactly: \( 76\pi - 60\pi = 16\pi \approx 50.27 \) meters. The general rule this reveals. The difference is \( 2\pi \) times the lane offset, here \( 2\pi(8) = 16\pi \), and it does not depend on the track's radius or on the length of the straights at all. That is why staggered starts in track events are computed from lane width alone. Sanity check. A standard 400 m track has an inner lane of 400 m, and this one comes out at 356.50 m, so it is a slightly small track, consistent with the dimensions given rather than with official ones. The lane difference of about 50 m for an 8 m offset is large because the offset is much wider than a real lane, which is about 1.22 m and gives a difference near 7.7 m. Infield \( 5040 + 900\pi \approx 7867.43 \) sq m; inner perimeter \( 168 + 60\pi \approx 356.50 \) m; outer lane longer by \( 16\pi \approx 50.27 \) m

Lesson 11.3 · Unit 11 · G-GMD.4

Seeing a solid in two dimensions, two different ways

A net unfolds a solid's surface flat, which is how surface area problems become plane area problems. A cross section slices through it, which is how the inside is described. A third connection runs the other way: spinning a plane figure produces a solid.

The method
  1. A net is a flat arrangement of a solid's faces that folds into it without gaps or overlaps.
  2. Every face appears exactly once in the net, which is why the net's area is the solid's surface area.
  3. A cross section is the plane figure formed where a plane cuts through a solid.
  4. A cross section parallel to a prism's or cylinder's base is congruent to that base.
  5. A cross section parallel to a pyramid's or cone's base is similar to that base, scaled by how far up the cut is.
  6. Cutting a cube at various angles can produce a triangle, rectangle, pentagon or regular hexagon.
  7. Rotating a plane figure about a line sweeps out a solid of revolution.
  8. A rectangle about a side gives a cylinder, a right triangle about a leg gives a cone, and a semicircle about its diameter gives a sphere.

Where students lose marks: assuming every cross section of a cone is a circle. Only cuts parallel to the base give circles. A slanted cut gives an ellipse, and a cut through the apex perpendicular to the base gives a triangle.

Worked example

The problem. (a) Describe a net for a cylinder and use it to explain the surface area formula. (b) List the cross sections of a cube parallel to a face, along a diagonal plane, and through three adjacent vertices. (c) Identify the solids produced by rotating a rectangle about a side, a right triangle about a leg, and a semicircle about its diameter. (d) A cone is cut by a plane parallel to its base, halfway up. Compare the cross section to the base.

Step one: build the cylinder's net for (a). A cylinder has two circular bases and one curved lateral surface. Cut the lateral surface along a vertical line and unroll it. Because the cut is straight and the surface has constant height, it flattens into a rectangle with no stretching.

Step two: read off the dimensions and finish (a). The rectangle's height is the cylinder's height \( h \). Its width is the distance around the base, which is the circumference \( 2\pi r \). So the lateral area is \( 2\pi rh \), and the two circular bases contribute \( 2\pi r^2 \). Total: \( S = 2\pi r^2 + 2\pi rh \). The net makes the formula readable rather than memorized: the first term is two circles and the second is one rectangle.

Step three: answer (b) for the simple cuts. A cut parallel to a face gives a square congruent to that face. A cut along a plane containing two opposite edges gives a rectangle, and since its width is the face diagonal \( s\sqrt{2} \) while its height is \( s \), it is longer than it is tall.

Step four: answer (b) for the diagonal cut. A plane through three vertices that are mutually adjacent to a common corner cuts off that corner. Each of the three cut edges is a face diagonal, of length \( s\sqrt{2} \), so the cross section is an equilateral triangle. Cutting perpendicular to a space diagonal at the cube's center gives a regular hexagon, which is the largest-sided cross section a cube allows.

Step five: answer (c). A rectangle rotated about one of its sides sweeps a cylinder, with radius the other side and height the axis side. A right triangle rotated about one leg sweeps a cone, with radius the other leg and height the axis leg. A semicircle rotated about its diameter sweeps a sphere, of the same radius.

Step six: note why rotation matters. These three cases explain why the volume formulas for a cylinder, cone and sphere sit in the same family. The cone's \( \dfrac{1}{3} \) is not arbitrary; it reflects that a triangle is half a rectangle but sweeps out only a third of the cylinder, because the parts near the axis contribute less volume than the parts near the rim. Lesson 11.5 makes that precise with Cavalieri's principle.

Step seven: set up (d). A plane parallel to a cone's base cuts a circle. The small cone above the cut is similar to the whole cone, since the cut is parallel to the base, and corresponding lengths are in the ratio of the heights.

Step eight: finish (d). Cutting halfway up makes the scale factor \( \dfrac{1}{2} \), so the cross section's radius is half the base's radius. Its area is therefore \( \left(\dfrac{1}{2}\right)^2 = \dfrac{1}{4} \) of the base's area, by the area ratio theorem of lesson 8.3. A concrete check: a cone of base radius 8 has base area \( 64\pi \), and the halfway cross section has radius 4 and area \( 16\pi \), which is a quarter. Correct. The common error is to expect half the area, reasoning from half the height. Area scales by the square of the linear factor, and lesson 11.6 shows volume scales by the cube.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is a net?
    Show the full solution

    A flat arrangement of a solid's faces that folds into it

  2. How many faces does a cube's net have?
    Show the full solution

    6

  3. What shape is a cylinder's lateral surface when unrolled?
    Show the full solution

    A rectangle

  4. Rotating a semicircle about its diameter gives what solid?
    Show the full solution

    A sphere

  5. A cross section of a cylinder parallel to its base is what shape?
    Show the full solution

    A circle congruent to the base

  6. A cone has base radius 12 and height 15. A plane cuts it parallel to the base, 5 units above the base. Find the cross section's radius.
    Show the full solution

    The small cone above the cut has height \( 15 - 5 = 10 \), so the scale factor from the whole cone is \( \dfrac{10}{15} = \dfrac{2}{3} \). Cross section radius: \( \dfrac{2}{3}(12) = 8 \). Check with proportional reasoning: at the apex the radius is 0 and at the base it is 12, and the radius changes linearly with height, so 5 units up from a 15-unit cone leaves two-thirds of the way to the apex. Consistent. 8

  7. A rectangle 6 by 10 is rotated about its side of length 10. Describe the solid and give its dimensions.
    Show the full solution

    The side of length 10 is the axis, so it becomes the height. The other side, 6, sweeps out the circular base, so it becomes the radius. The result is a cylinder of radius 6 and height 10. Note the contrast: rotating about the side of length 6 instead would give a cylinder of radius 10 and height 6, a different solid with different volume, \( 600\pi \) against \( 360\pi \). A cylinder of radius 6 and height 10

  8. Describe three different cross sections a cube can have and say how each is produced.
    Show the full solution

    Square. Cut with a plane parallel to a face. The cross section is congruent to that face, so it is a square of the same side length. Equilateral triangle. Cut with a plane through three vertices that all share a common corner. Each edge of the cross section is a face diagonal, so all three have length \( s\sqrt{2} \) and the triangle is equilateral. Regular hexagon. Cut with a plane perpendicular to a space diagonal, passing through the cube's center. The plane meets all six faces, and by symmetry each intersection has the same length, giving a regular hexagon. Others are possible too. A plane tilted relative to a face gives a non-square rectangle, and a plane cutting five faces gives a pentagon. What is not possible is a cross section with more than six sides, since the cube has only six faces and a plane meets each at most once. Square from a parallel cut, equilateral triangle from a corner cut, regular hexagon from a cut perpendicular to a space diagonal at the center

  9. Explain why the net of a solid has the same area as the solid's surface.
    Show the full solution

    A net is formed by cutting along some edges and unfolding the surface into a plane. The cuts remove no material and the unfolding neither stretches nor compresses any face, so every face arrives in the plane congruent to its original. Each face appears exactly once, with no face omitted and none duplicated, and the faces do not overlap in a valid net. Since area is additive over non-overlapping regions, the net's total area equals the sum of the face areas, which is the definition of surface area. Why this is genuinely useful. It turns a three-dimensional measurement into a plane problem using formulas from lesson 11.1, and it explains the structure of every surface area formula. A cylinder's \( 2\pi r^2 + 2\pi rh \) is two circles plus a rectangle. A square pyramid's \( B + \dfrac{1}{2}Pl \) is a square plus four triangles. A cone's \( \pi r^2 + \pi r l \) is a circle plus a sector. The one caution. Unfolding works because each face is flat. A curved surface can be unfolded only if it is developable, like a cylinder or a cone, which can be cut and laid flat without distortion. A sphere is not developable, which is why its surface area of \( 4\pi r^2 \) cannot be found from a net and why every flat map of the earth distorts something. Unfolding preserves each face exactly, includes every face once, and creates no overlaps, so the areas add to the same total

  10. A right triangle with legs 9 and 12 is rotated about each leg in turn. Describe both solids, find both volumes, and explain why they differ.
    Show the full solution

    Rotating about the leg of 12. That leg is the axis, so it is the height. The other leg, 9, sweeps the base, so it is the radius. Cone with \( r = 9 \), \( h = 12 \). \( V = \dfrac{1}{3}\pi(81)(12) = \dfrac{1}{3}\pi(972) = 324\pi \approx 1017.88 \). Rotating about the leg of 9. Now the height is 9 and the radius is 12. Cone with \( r = 12 \), \( h = 9 \). \( V = \dfrac{1}{3}\pi(144)(9) = \dfrac{1}{3}\pi(1296) = 432\pi \approx 1357.17 \). Why they differ. The volume formula is \( \dfrac{1}{3}\pi r^2 h \), which is linear in the height but quadratic in the radius. So the dimension that becomes the radius counts twice over, and putting the larger number there produces the larger solid. The ratio makes this precise: \( \dfrac{432\pi}{324\pi} = \dfrac{4}{3} \), which is exactly \( \dfrac{12}{9} \). One factor of the ratio comes from swapping which leg is squared and which is not. The check by ratio. First volume is proportional to \( 9^2 \times 12 = 972 \); second to \( 12^2 \times 9 = 1296 \). Their ratio is \( \dfrac{1296}{972} = \dfrac{4}{3} \). Agrees. A related fact. The two cones share the same slant height, since the triangle's hypotenuse is \( \sqrt{81 + 144} = 15 \) in both cases and it becomes the slant. So the two solids have equal slant heights but unequal volumes, which is a reminder that one shared measurement does not make solids equivalent. \( 324\pi \approx 1017.88 \) and \( 432\pi \approx 1357.17 \); the radius is squared in the formula while the height is not

Lesson 11.4 · Unit 11 · G-MG.1

Adding up the faces, with the slant height doing the work

Every surface area formula is the sum of the pieces in the solid's net. The one place where care is needed is the pyramid and the cone, where the lateral faces use the slant height and not the vertical height, and those two are related by the Pythagorean theorem.

The method
  1. Prism: \( S = 2B + Ph \), two bases plus the lateral faces, where \( P \) is the base perimeter.
  2. Cylinder: \( S = 2\pi r^2 + 2\pi rh \).
  3. Regular pyramid: \( S = B + \dfrac{1}{2}Pl \), where \( l \) is the slant height.
  4. Cone: \( S = \pi r^2 + \pi r l \).
  5. Sphere: \( S = 4\pi r^2 \), with no separate base.
  6. The slant height is measured along a lateral face, from the apex to the midpoint of a base edge, and is longer than the vertical height.
  7. For a cone, \( l = \sqrt{r^2 + h^2} \); for a regular pyramid, \( l = \sqrt{h^2 + a^2} \) where \( a \) is the base apothem.
  8. Check whether the problem wants all faces or only the lateral surface, since an open container excludes a base.

Where students lose marks: substituting the vertical height where the slant height belongs. A cone with radius 6 and height 8 has slant height 10, and using 8 gives a lateral area of \( 48\pi \) instead of the correct \( 60\pi \).

Worked example

The problem. (a) Find the surface area of a cylinder with radius 5 and height 12. (b) Find the surface area of a cone with radius 6 and height 8. (c) Find the surface area of a square pyramid with base edge 10 and height 12. (d) Explain why a sphere's surface area is exactly four times the area of a great circle.

Step one: solve (a). Two bases: \( 2\pi(5)^2 = 50\pi \). Lateral: \( 2\pi(5)(12) = 120\pi \). Total: \( 50\pi + 120\pi = 170\pi \approx 534.07 \).

Step two: check (a) against the net. The net is two circles of radius 5 and a rectangle \( 10\pi \) by 12. Rectangle area: \( 10\pi \times 12 = 120\pi \). Matches the lateral term. The formula is just the net's pieces added.

Step three: find the slant height for (b). The radius, height and slant height form a right triangle, with the slant height as the hypotenuse. \( l = \sqrt{6^2 + 8^2} = \sqrt{36 + 64} = \sqrt{100} = 10 \). This is the 3-4-5 triple doubled.

Step four: compute (b). Base: \( \pi(6)^2 = 36\pi \). Lateral: \( \pi(6)(10) = 60\pi \). Total: \( 36\pi + 60\pi = 96\pi \approx 301.59 \). Check: the lateral surface unrolls into a sector of a circle of radius 10. Its arc is the base circumference \( 12\pi \), and the full circle of radius 10 has circumference \( 20\pi \), so the sector is \( \dfrac{12\pi}{20\pi} = \dfrac{3}{5} \) of it. That gives \( \dfrac{3}{5}\pi(100) = 60\pi \). Agrees.

Step five: find the slant height for (c). For a square pyramid, the slant height runs from the apex to the midpoint of a base edge. It forms a right triangle with the vertical height and the apothem of the base, which for a square of edge 10 is \( \dfrac{10}{2} = 5 \). \( l = \sqrt{12^2 + 5^2} = \sqrt{144 + 25} = \sqrt{169} = 13 \). This is the 5-12-13 triple.

Step six: compute (c). Base: \( 10^2 = 100 \). Lateral: the four triangular faces each have base 10 and height 13, so \( 4 \times \dfrac{1}{2}(10)(13) = 4 \times 65 = 260 \). Equivalently \( \dfrac{1}{2}Pl = \dfrac{1}{2}(40)(13) = 260 \). Total: \( 100 + 260 = 360 \). Note that the lateral edge, from the apex to a corner, is a different and longer segment: \( \sqrt{12^2 + (5\sqrt{2})^2} = \sqrt{144 + 50} = \sqrt{194} \approx 13.93 \). Using that in place of the slant height is a common and costly substitution.

Step seven: begin (d). A great circle is a cross section of the sphere through its center, so it has radius \( r \) and area \( \pi r^2 \). The sphere's surface area is \( 4\pi r^2 \), which is exactly four times that.

Step eight: explain why (d) is not obvious. A sphere cannot be unfolded into a plane, so no net produces this result. Archimedes established it by a different route: the surface area of a sphere equals the lateral surface area of the cylinder that exactly contains it. That cylinder has radius \( r \) and height \( 2r \), so its lateral area is \( 2\pi r(2r) = 4\pi r^2 \), matching the sphere. The underlying reason is a cancellation. Near the equator the sphere bulges out further than it does near the poles, but near the poles the surface slopes more steeply, and the two effects cancel exactly at every height. Archimedes considered this his finest result and asked for a sphere inscribed in a cylinder to be carved on his tomb.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning. Leave answers in terms of \( \pi \) where exact.

  1. Find the surface area of a cube with edge 4.
    Show the full solution

    Six faces of area 16. 96

  2. Find the surface area of a sphere of radius 3.
    Show the full solution

    \( 36\pi \)

  3. Find the lateral area of a cylinder with radius 4 and height 10.
    Show the full solution

    \( 2\pi(4)(10) \). \( 80\pi \)

  4. A cone has radius 3 and slant height 5. Find its lateral area.
    Show the full solution

    \( \pi(3)(5) \). \( 15\pi \)

  5. Which is longer, the slant height or the vertical height?
    Show the full solution

    The slant height

  6. A cone has radius 5 and height 12. Find its total surface area.
    Show the full solution

    Slant height: \( \sqrt{25 + 144} = \sqrt{169} = 13 \). Base: \( 25\pi \). Lateral: \( \pi(5)(13) = 65\pi \). Total: \( 90\pi \approx 282.74 \). Check: the slant height 13 exceeds the vertical height 12, as required. \( 90\pi \approx 282.74 \)

  7. A square pyramid has base edge 16 and slant height 17. Find its surface area and its vertical height.
    Show the full solution

    Base: \( 16^2 = 256 \). Lateral: \( \dfrac{1}{2}(64)(17) = 544 \). Total: \( 256 + 544 = 800 \). Vertical height: the base apothem is \( \dfrac{16}{2} = 8 \), and the slant height is the hypotenuse, so \( h = \sqrt{17^2 - 8^2} = \sqrt{289 - 64} = \sqrt{225} = 15 \). Check: the 8-15-17 triple, and \( 15 \lt 17 \), as the vertical height must be. Surface area 800, height 15

  8. An open cylindrical can has radius 7 and height 10. Find the area of metal needed.
    Show the full solution

    Open means one base is missing, so count one circle and the lateral surface. Base: \( \pi(49) = 49\pi \). Lateral: \( 2\pi(7)(10) = 140\pi \). Total: \( 189\pi \approx 593.76 \). Note that the closed version would be \( 238\pi \approx 747.70 \), so reading the word "open" matters by about 154 square units here. \( 189\pi \approx 593.76 \)

  9. Explain why the slant height appears in the pyramid and cone formulas rather than the vertical height.
    Show the full solution

    Surface area measures the actual extent of the faces, and the lateral faces of a pyramid are triangles lying in slanted planes. A triangle's area uses the height measured within its own plane, perpendicular to its base, and for a lateral face that distance is the slant height. The vertical height goes from the apex straight down to the base's center and does not lie in any lateral face at all. The same holds for a cone. Unrolling its lateral surface gives a sector of radius equal to the slant height, because the slant height is the distance from the apex to any point on the base circle, measured along the surface. The relationship between them. The vertical height, the slant height and the base apothem or radius form a right triangle, so \( l = \sqrt{h^2 + a^2} \) for a pyramid and \( l = \sqrt{h^2 + r^2} \) for a cone. The slant height is the hypotenuse and therefore always the longer of the two. Why the error is costly. Substituting \( h \) for \( l \) always understates the surface area, and by a margin that grows as the solid gets wider relative to its height. For the cone in the worked example the error is 20 percent. Where the vertical height does belong. In volume. The formula \( \dfrac{1}{3}Bh \) uses the vertical height, because volume measures how far the solid extends perpendicular to its base. So the same solid uses two different heights for its two measurements, and keeping them straight means asking which quantity is being computed. Lateral faces are triangles in slanted planes, and their own heights are slant heights; the vertical height belongs to volume instead

  10. A grain silo consists of a cylinder of radius 6 and height 20 topped by a hemisphere of the same radius. Find its total exterior surface area, including the flat circular base.
    Show the full solution

    Identify the pieces. The exterior consists of the flat circular base on the ground, the cylinder's lateral surface, and the hemisphere's curved top. The circle where the hemisphere meets the cylinder is not a surface, since both solids are joined there and neither face is exposed. The base. \( \pi(6)^2 = 36\pi \). The cylinder's lateral surface. \( 2\pi(6)(20) = 240\pi \). The hemisphere. Half of a sphere's surface: \( \dfrac{1}{2} \times 4\pi(6)^2 = \dfrac{1}{2}(144\pi) = 72\pi \). Note this is the curved part only. A hemisphere considered as a closed solid would also have a flat disk, but here that disk is the joint with the cylinder and is not exposed. Total. \( 36\pi + 240\pi + 72\pi = 348\pi \approx 1093.3 \) square units. Check the parts against intuition. The cylinder's lateral surface dominates at about 69 percent of the total, which is right for a tall narrow silo, 20 units high against a radius of 6. The hemisphere at \( 72\pi \) is exactly twice the flat base at \( 36\pi \), which is the general fact that a hemisphere's curved surface is twice the area of the circle it caps. A second check on that last fact. Sphere surface is \( 4\pi r^2 \) and a great circle is \( \pi r^2 \), so half the sphere is \( 2\pi r^2 \), exactly twice \( \pi r^2 \). Confirmed, and it holds for every radius. A practical note. If the question were about paint, the base resting on the ground would be excluded, giving \( 312\pi \approx 980.2 \). Reading which surfaces are actually exposed is the part of these problems that carries the marks. \( 348\pi \approx 1093.3 \)

Lesson 11.5 · Unit 11 · G-GMD.1, G-GMD.3

Why a leaning stack holds as much as a straight one

Cavalieri's principle says that two solids with the same height and matching cross-sectional areas at every level have the same volume. It justifies the oblique cases, explains the one third in the cone formula, and produces the sphere's volume from solids already understood.

The method
  1. Cavalieri's principle: if two solids have equal heights and every parallel cross section has equal area, their volumes are equal.
  2. Prism or cylinder: \( V = Bh \), where \( B \) is the base area.
  3. This holds for oblique solids too, by Cavalieri, since a leaning stack has the same cross sections as an upright one.
  4. Pyramid or cone: \( V = \dfrac{1}{3}Bh \).
  5. Sphere: \( V = \dfrac{4}{3}\pi r^3 \).
  6. The height is always the perpendicular height, not a slant.
  7. Composite solids are handled by adding and subtracting volumes of known pieces.
  8. Check units: volume is in cubic units, and mixing linear units is the most common numerical error.

Where students lose marks: forgetting the one third for pyramids and cones, or applying it to prisms and cylinders. A cone holds exactly one third of the cylinder with the same base and height, a relationship worth verifying once by pouring water between two such containers.

Worked example

The problem. (a) State Cavalieri's principle and use it to justify the volume of an oblique cylinder. (b) Find the volume of a cylinder with radius 5 and height 12, and of a cone with radius 6 and height 8. (c) Derive the sphere's volume using Cavalieri. (d) Find the volume of a sphere of radius 6.

Step one: state the principle for (a). If two solids sit between the same pair of parallel planes, and every plane parallel to those two cuts both solids in regions of equal area, then the solids have equal volume. The intuition is a stack of cards: sliding the cards sideways changes the shape of the stack but not the number of cards, so the volume is unchanged.

Step two: apply it to the oblique cylinder. Take a right cylinder and an oblique one with the same base and the same perpendicular height. At any height between the two bounding planes, each is cut in a circle congruent to the base, so the cross-sectional areas are equal. By Cavalieri the volumes are equal, so the oblique cylinder also has volume \( Bh \). The lean does not matter, only the perpendicular height.

Step three: compute the cylinder in (b). \( V = \pi(5)^2(12) = 300\pi \approx 942.48 \).

Step four: compute the cone in (b). \( V = \dfrac{1}{3}\pi(6)^2(8) = \dfrac{1}{3}\pi(288) = 96\pi \approx 301.59 \). Check the one third: the cylinder with the same base and height would be \( \pi(36)(8) = 288\pi \), and \( \dfrac{288\pi}{3} = 96\pi \). Correct.

Step five: set up the sphere derivation for (c). Compare a hemisphere of radius \( r \) with a second solid: a cylinder of radius \( r \) and height \( r \), with a cone of radius \( r \) and height \( r \) removed from it, the cone's apex at the center of the bottom face. Both solids have height \( r \), so Cavalieri applies if the cross sections match.

Step six: compare cross sections. Cut both at height \( h \) above the base. In the hemisphere, the cross section is a circle whose radius \( x \) satisfies \( x^2 + h^2 = r^2 \), so \( x^2 = r^2 - h^2 \) and the area is \( \pi(r^2 - h^2) \). In the cylinder-minus-cone, the cross section is an annulus. The outer radius is \( r \). The inner radius is the cone's radius at height \( h \), and since the cone has equal radius and height, that radius is exactly \( h \). Area: \( \pi r^2 - \pi h^2 = \pi(r^2 - h^2) \). The two match at every height.

Step seven: finish (c). By Cavalieri the volumes are equal, so \[ V_{\text{hemisphere}} = \pi r^2 \cdot r - \frac{1}{3}\pi r^2 \cdot r = \pi r^3 - \frac{1}{3}\pi r^3 = \frac{2}{3}\pi r^3 \] Doubling for the full sphere: \( V = \dfrac{4}{3}\pi r^3 \). This derivation needs no calculus, only the cone's volume and a cross-sectional comparison.

Step eight: compute (d) and check. \( V = \dfrac{4}{3}\pi(6)^3 = \dfrac{4}{3}\pi(216) = 288\pi \approx 904.78 \). Sanity check by bounding: the sphere fits inside a cube of edge 12, of volume 1728, and \( 904.78 \) is about 52 percent of it. The exact fraction is \( \dfrac{\dfrac{4}{3}\pi r^3}{8r^3} = \dfrac{\pi}{6} \approx 0.5236 \), and that ratio is the same for every sphere in its circumscribed cube. A second check: the sphere occupies two thirds of its circumscribing cylinder, which has volume \( \pi(36)(12) = 432\pi \), and \( \dfrac{2}{3}(432\pi) = 288\pi \). Agrees. That two-thirds relationship is Archimedes' result, matching the surface area result of lesson 11.4.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning. Leave answers in terms of \( \pi \) where exact.

  1. Find the volume of a cube with edge 5.
    Show the full solution

    125

  2. Find the volume of a cylinder with radius 3 and height 10.
    Show the full solution

    \( \pi(9)(10) \). \( 90\pi \)

  3. Find the volume of a cone with radius 3 and height 10.
    Show the full solution

    One third of the cylinder above. \( 30\pi \)

  4. Find the volume of a sphere of radius 3.
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{4}{3}\pi(27) \). \( 36\pi \)

  5. What does Cavalieri's principle compare?
    Show the full solution

    Cross-sectional areas at every height

  6. A square pyramid has base edge 9 and height 14. Find its volume.
    Show the full solution

    Base area: \( 81 \). \( V = \dfrac{1}{3}(81)(14) = 27 \times 14 = 378 \). Check: the prism with the same base and height would be \( 81 \times 14 = 1134 \), and \( \dfrac{1134}{3} = 378 \). Correct. 378

  7. A cylinder and a cone have the same volume. The cylinder has radius 4 and height 6, and the cone has radius 4. Find the cone's height.
    Show the full solution

    Cylinder: \( \pi(16)(6) = 96\pi \). Cone: \( \dfrac{1}{3}\pi(16)h = \dfrac{16\pi h}{3} \). Setting equal: \( \dfrac{16\pi h}{3} = 96\pi \), so \( 16h = 288 \) and \( h = 18 \). Check: \( \dfrac{1}{3}\pi(16)(18) = \dfrac{1}{3}\pi(288) = 96\pi \). Correct. The cone must be three times as tall, which makes sense since it holds one third as much at equal height. 18

  8. A solid consists of a cylinder of radius 4 and height 9 with a hemisphere of radius 4 on top. Find its volume.
    Show the full solution

    Cylinder: \( \pi(16)(9) = 144\pi \). Hemisphere: \( \dfrac{1}{2} \times \dfrac{4}{3}\pi(64) = \dfrac{2}{3}\pi(64) = \dfrac{128\pi}{3} \approx 42.67\pi \). Total: \( 144\pi + \dfrac{128\pi}{3} = \dfrac{432\pi + 128\pi}{3} = \dfrac{560\pi}{3} \approx 586.4 \). Sanity check: the hemisphere adds about 23 percent to the cylinder's volume, which is reasonable for a cap of radius 4 on a body 9 tall. \( \dfrac{560\pi}{3} \approx 586.4 \)

  9. Explain why an oblique prism has the same volume as a right prism with the same base and height.
    Show the full solution

    Place both prisms between the same two parallel planes, so they have equal perpendicular heights. At any level between those planes, a parallel plane cuts each prism in a region congruent to its base, since the lateral edges of a prism are parallel and the cross section is a translate of the base. The oblique prism's cross section is shifted sideways relative to the right prism's, but a translation preserves area, so the two cross sections have equal area. That holds at every level, so by Cavalieri's principle the volumes are equal, and both are \( Bh \). The card-stack picture. Imagine a deck of cards stacked squarely, then pushed so it leans. Every card is still there and no card changed size, so the deck occupies the same volume. The lean redistributes the material without adding or removing any. Why the perpendicular height is the one that counts. The principle compares solids between the same two planes, and the distance between those planes is the perpendicular height. A slanted lateral edge is longer, but it does not measure how far the solid extends between the planes, so it plays no part in the volume. The same argument covers cylinders, cones and pyramids, which is why all the volume formulas in this lesson apply to oblique solids unchanged. Every parallel cross section is a translate of the base and so has equal area, and Cavalieri's principle then forces equal volumes

  10. A cylindrical tank of radius 3 feet and height 10 feet is filled with water. Find the volume in cubic feet, the weight of the water at 62.4 pounds per cubic foot, and how long it takes to drain at 15 gallons per minute, given 1 cubic foot is about 7.48 gallons.
    Show the full solution

    The volume. \( V = \pi(3)^2(10) = 90\pi \approx 282.74 \) cubic feet. The weight. \( 282.74 \times 62.4 \approx 17{,}643 \) pounds. That is about 8.8 tons, which is worth noting as a structural fact: a modest-looking tank holds a very heavy load, and the platform beneath it has to carry it. Convert to gallons. \( 282.74 \times 7.48 \approx 2114.9 \) gallons. The draining time. \( \dfrac{2114.9}{15} \approx 141.0 \) minutes, or about 2 hours and 21 minutes. Check the unit conversions. A cubic foot of water weighing 62.4 pounds and holding 7.48 gallons implies a gallon weighs \( \dfrac{62.4}{7.48} \approx 8.34 \) pounds, which is the standard figure for water. The two given constants are consistent. Check the total weight a second way. \( 2114.9 \) gallons at 8.34 pounds each is about 17,638 pounds, matching the 17,643 found above to within rounding. Confirmed. A note on the draining assumption. The calculation assumes a constant 15 gallons per minute. In a real tank draining under gravity, the flow rate falls as the water level drops, since the pressure at the outlet decreases, so the true time would be longer. Stating that assumption is part of an honest model, and lesson 11.6 takes up modeling assumptions directly. About 282.74 cubic feet, 17,643 pounds, and 141 minutes at a constant rate

Lesson 11.6 · Unit 11 · G-MG.2, G-MG.3

Why doubling a model does not double what it holds

Geometry becomes useful when it describes something real, and two ideas do most of that work: density, which is an amount per unit of area or volume, and scaling, which governs how measurements change when a figure is enlarged. The scaling rule surprises people, and its consequences are everywhere.

The method
  1. Density is an amount divided by a measure: mass per volume, people per area, cost per length.
  2. Rearranged, amount equals density times measure, which is how a total is recovered.
  3. Check units at every step; an answer in the wrong units signals an error in the setup.
  4. If a figure is scaled by a factor \( k \), every length is multiplied by \( k \).
  5. Area is multiplied by \( k^2 \) and volume by \( k^3 \).
  6. So doubling a solid's dimensions gives four times the surface and eight times the volume.
  7. The surface-to-volume ratio therefore falls as size increases, which has consequences in biology and engineering.
  8. When modeling, state the assumptions and say which real features the model ignores.

Where students lose marks: scaling volume by \( k \) instead of \( k^3 \). A model car at \( \dfrac{1}{24} \) scale has \( \dfrac{1}{13824} \) of the real car's volume, since \( 24^3 = 13824 \), not one twenty-fourth.

Worked example

The problem. (a) A city has 120,000 residents in 45 square miles. Find its population density. (b) A solid is scaled by a factor of 3. Find how its surface area and volume change. (c) Explain why small animals lose heat faster than large ones. (d) A model car is built at \( 1 : 24 \) scale. If the model holds 0.02 liters of paint to coat, estimate what the real car would need, and state the assumptions.

Step one: solve (a). Population density is people per unit area: \( \dfrac{120{,}000}{45} \approx 2666.7 \) people per square mile. Units check: people divided by square miles gives people per square mile. Correct.

Step two: interpret (a). A density near 2,700 per square mile is typical of a small American city, denser than a suburb but far below a major urban center, which can exceed 20,000. Density describes distribution rather than total size: a small dense town and a sprawling large one can hold the same number of people.

Step three: solve (b). Scaling by \( k = 3 \) multiplies every length by 3. Surface area is a two-dimensional measurement, so it is multiplied by \( 3^2 = 9 \). Volume is three-dimensional, so it is multiplied by \( 3^3 = 27 \).

Step four: verify (b) with a concrete case. Take a cube of edge 2: surface \( 6(4) = 24 \), volume \( 8 \). Scaled to edge 6: surface \( 6(36) = 216 \), volume \( 216 \). Ratios: \( \dfrac{216}{24} = 9 \) and \( \dfrac{216}{8} = 27 \). Confirmed. The reason is in the formulas themselves: surface area formulas are quadratic in the linear dimensions and volume formulas are cubic, so replacing \( s \) by \( ks \) pulls out \( k^2 \) or \( k^3 \).

Step five: begin (c). Heat is lost through the surface, and heat is stored in the body's volume. So the rate of cooling relative to the heat available depends on the ratio of surface area to volume.

Step six: finish (c). Scaling by \( k \) multiplies surface by \( k^2 \) and volume by \( k^3 \), so the ratio is multiplied by \( \dfrac{k^2}{k^3} = \dfrac{1}{k} \). Larger animals have a smaller surface-to-volume ratio and so lose heat more slowly per unit of body mass. A concrete comparison: a cube of edge 1 has ratio \( \dfrac{6}{1} = 6 \), while a cube of edge 10 has ratio \( \dfrac{600}{1000} = 0.6 \), ten times smaller. This explains why small mammals eat constantly relative to their size, why arctic animals tend to be large and compact, and why crushed ice melts faster than a single block of the same total mass.

Step seven: begin (d). Paint coats a surface, so the amount needed scales with area, not volume. The scale factor is 24, so the real car's surface area is \( 24^2 = 576 \) times the model's. Estimate: \( 0.02 \times 576 = 11.52 \) liters.

Step eight: state the assumptions for (d). The estimate assumes the model is geometrically similar to the real car in every detail, that the paint is applied in a coat of the same thickness on both, and that no paint is wasted differently at the two scales. All three are questionable. Real cars have features a model simplifies, such as door seams and undercarriage detail, which add surface. Automotive paint is often applied in several coats of different thicknesses than a hobbyist's single coat. And spray application wastes a larger fraction on small objects. A figure near 11.5 liters is also high compared with the 3 to 4 liters typically used on a real car, which suggests the model's paint quantity was generous or the coat thicker in relative terms. Naming that discrepancy is part of the answer: a model that disagrees with known values by a factor of three is telling you an assumption is wrong, and saying so is more useful than reporting the number alone.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. A figure is scaled by 4. By what factor does its area change?
    Show the full solution

    16

  2. By what factor does its volume change?
    Show the full solution

    64

  3. A town has 8,000 people in 4 square miles. Find its density.
    Show the full solution

    2,000 people per square mile

  4. A material has density 3 grams per cubic centimeter. Find the mass of 20 cubic centimeters.
    Show the full solution

    \( 3 \times 20 \). 60 grams

  5. Does paint coverage scale with area or with volume?
    Show the full solution

    Area

  6. A sphere's radius is increased by 50 percent. Find the percent increase in its volume.
    Show the full solution

    The scale factor is \( k = 1.5 \). Volume scales by \( k^3 = 1.5^3 = 3.375 \). That is an increase of \( 3.375 - 1 = 2.375 \), or 237.5 percent. Check with numbers: a sphere of radius 2 has volume \( \dfrac{4}{3}\pi(8) \approx 33.51 \), and radius 3 gives \( \dfrac{4}{3}\pi(27) \approx 113.10 \). \( \dfrac{113.10}{33.51} \approx 3.375 \). Confirmed. 237.5 percent

  7. Two similar solids have volumes 64 and 216. Find the ratio of their surface areas.
    Show the full solution

    The volume ratio is \( \dfrac{216}{64} = \dfrac{27}{8} \), which equals \( k^3 \). So \( k = \sqrt[3]{\dfrac{27}{8}} = \dfrac{3}{2} \). Surface areas are in the ratio \( k^2 = \dfrac{9}{4} \). Check: if the smaller has surface 4 units, the larger has 9, and their volumes would be in the ratio \( \left( \dfrac{3}{2} \right)^3 = \dfrac{27}{8} \), matching. \( 9 : 4 \)

  8. A concrete block measures 40 cm by 20 cm by 15 cm, and concrete has density 2,400 kilograms per cubic meter. Find the block's mass.
    Show the full solution

    Convert to meters first, since the density is per cubic meter: 0.40 m by 0.20 m by 0.15 m. Volume: \( 0.40 \times 0.20 \times 0.15 = 0.012 \) cubic meters. Mass: \( 0.012 \times 2400 = 28.8 \) kilograms. The unit trap. Computing the volume in cubic centimeters gives \( 40 \times 20 \times 15 = 12{,}000 \), and multiplying that by 2,400 would give 28,800,000, wrong by a factor of a million. Cubic centimeters and cubic meters differ by \( 100^3 = 1{,}000{,}000 \), which is exactly the scaling rule of this lesson. Check: 28.8 kg is a heavy but liftable block, which is plausible. Nearly 29 tonnes would not be. 28.8 kilograms

  9. Explain why a very large land animal cannot simply be a scaled-up version of a small one.
    Show the full solution

    Scaling an animal by a factor \( k \) multiplies its volume, and therefore its weight, by \( k^3 \). But its bones support that weight through their cross-sectional area, which is multiplied by only \( k^2 \). So the stress on the bones, meaning weight divided by supporting area, is multiplied by \( \dfrac{k^3}{k^2} = k \). Double the size and each bone carries twice the stress per unit of cross section. Bone strength per unit area does not change with size, so beyond some point the material simply fails. The consequence. Large animals cannot be scaled copies of small ones. They must be disproportionately thick-limbed. An elephant's leg bones are far stouter relative to their length than a mouse's, and this is a structural necessity, not a stylistic difference. Other effects of the same rule. Heat loss scales with surface area, \( k^2 \), while heat production scales roughly with volume, \( k^3 \), so large animals overheat more easily and small ones must eat constantly. Oxygen exchange happens across surfaces, which is why large organisms need folded lungs and branched circulatory systems rather than simple skin exchange. The same principle in engineering. A scale model of a bridge cannot predict the real bridge's behavior without correcting for this, since the model's own weight is negligible relative to its strength while the real structure's is not. This is why the square-cube law is one of the first things taught in structural design. Historical note. Galileo set this out in 1638 in his Two New Sciences, with a drawing of the thickened bone a large animal would require. It was among the first arguments that geometry places absolute limits on what living things can be. Weight grows as \( k^3 \) but supporting cross section only as \( k^2 \), so stress grows in proportion to size and the proportions must change

  10. A reservoir is modeled as a rectangular prism 800 m by 500 m with an average depth of 12 m. Find its capacity in cubic meters and in liters, estimate how many people it could supply for a year at 150 liters per person per day, and critique the model.
    Show the full solution

    The volume. \( 800 \times 500 \times 12 = 4{,}800{,}000 \) cubic meters. In liters. One cubic meter is 1,000 liters, so \( 4{,}800{,}000 \times 1000 = 4.8 \times 10^9 \) liters, that is 4.8 billion liters. Annual use per person. \( 150 \times 365 = 54{,}750 \) liters per person per year. People supplied. \( \dfrac{4.8 \times 10^9}{54{,}750} \approx 87{,}671 \) people. So roughly 88,000 people for one year, if the reservoir were emptied completely and not refilled. Check the magnitude. 150 liters a day is about 40 gallons, which is close to typical household use in a developed country. And a reservoir of 4.8 billion liters serving a city of under 100,000 for a year seems plausible, since real reservoirs serving cities of that size are of comparable scale. Critique the model: the shape. A reservoir is not a rectangular prism. Its bed slopes and its banks are irregular, so the true volume is less than the prism suggests, perhaps substantially. Using the average depth partially corrects for this, but only if the average was measured properly rather than estimated from the deepest point. Critique the model: the usage assumption. Treating consumption as a constant 150 liters per person per day ignores seasonal variation, since summer use is much higher, and it ignores non-residential demand from industry and agriculture, which in many regions exceeds household use. Critique the model: the water balance. The largest omission is that reservoirs are refilled by rainfall and inflow, and they lose water to evaporation and seepage. A reservoir is not a tank that empties once; it is a flow system. A usable answer would compare annual inflow with annual demand rather than dividing total capacity by consumption. Critique the model: usable capacity. Not all stored water can be withdrawn. A minimum level must remain for water quality, ecological flow downstream, and intake operation, so the usable fraction is well below the geometric capacity. What the model is still good for. It gives an order of magnitude, which is the right first step. Knowing the answer is tens of thousands of people rather than hundreds or millions is genuinely informative, and it identifies which refinements would matter most. That is what a first model is for, provided its limits are stated rather than hidden. 4,800,000 cubic meters, or 4.8 billion liters, supplying roughly 88,000 people for a year under assumptions that ignore shape irregularity, refilling, evaporation and unusable reserve

Unit 11 mixed review · 10 problems · all topics

Unit 11: Area, Surface Area and Volume

Check units before computing. Several of these mix linear units, and the scaling problems reward reading the exponent carefully.

  1. Find the area of a triangle with base 10 and height 7.
    Show the full solution

    35

  2. Find the area of a trapezoid with bases 6 and 10 and height 8.
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{1}{2}(16)(8) \). 64

  3. A regular polygon has apothem 8 and perimeter 60. Find its area.
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{1}{2}(8)(60) \). 240

  4. Find the volume of a cylinder with radius 3 and height 7.
    Show the full solution

    \( \pi(9)(7) \). \( 63\pi \)

  5. Find the surface area of a sphere of radius 4.
    Show the full solution

    \( 4\pi(16) \). \( 64\pi \)

  6. A cone has radius 9 and height 12. Find its surface area and volume.
    Show the full solution

    Slant height: \( \sqrt{81 + 144} = \sqrt{225} = 15 \). The 9-12-15 triangle. Surface area: \( \pi(81) + \pi(9)(15) = 81\pi + 135\pi = 216\pi \approx 678.58 \). Volume: \( \dfrac{1}{3}\pi(81)(12) = \dfrac{1}{3}\pi(972) = 324\pi \approx 1017.88 \). Check: the slant height 15 exceeds the vertical height 12, as required. Surface \( 216\pi \approx 678.58 \); volume \( 324\pi \approx 1017.88 \)

  7. Two similar solids have a scale factor of \( \dfrac{2}{5} \). Find the ratio of their volumes.
    Show the full solution

    Volume scales by the cube of the linear factor: \( \left( \dfrac{2}{5} \right)^3 = \dfrac{8}{125} \). Their surface areas would be in the ratio \( \dfrac{4}{25} \), which is worth computing alongside as a reminder that the two exponents differ. \( 8 : 125 \)

  8. A solid consists of a cylinder of radius 3 and height 8 topped by a hemisphere of radius 3. Find its volume.
    Show the full solution

    Cylinder: \( \pi(9)(8) = 72\pi \). Hemisphere: \( \dfrac{1}{2} \times \dfrac{4}{3}\pi(27) = \dfrac{2}{3}\pi(27) = 18\pi \). Total: \( 72\pi + 18\pi = 90\pi \approx 282.74 \). Sanity check: the hemisphere adds a quarter to the cylinder's volume, which is reasonable for a cap of radius 3 on a body 8 tall. \( 90\pi \approx 282.74 \)

  9. Explain why a solid's volume grows faster than its surface area as it is scaled up, and name one consequence.
    Show the full solution

    Scaling every length by a factor \( k \) multiplies each area by \( k^2 \) and each volume by \( k^3 \), because area formulas are quadratic in the linear dimensions and volume formulas are cubic. So the ratio of surface area to volume is multiplied by \( \dfrac{k^2}{k^3} = \dfrac{1}{k} \). Larger objects have proportionally less surface for the material they contain. A numerical illustration. A cube of edge 1 has surface 6 and volume 1, a ratio of 6. A cube of edge 10 has surface 600 and volume 1000, a ratio of 0.6, ten times smaller. Consequences. Small animals lose body heat quickly relative to their mass and must eat almost constantly, while large animals overheat more readily. Crushed ice melts faster than one block of the same mass. Large structures must be built with proportionally thicker supports, since weight grows as \( k^3 \) while the bone or beam cross section carrying it grows only as \( k^2 \). And chemical reactions run faster with finely divided material, because the reacting surface is larger per unit of mass. Volume is cubic in the linear dimensions while area is quadratic, so the surface-to-volume ratio falls as \( \frac{1}{k} \)

  10. A swimming pool is 25 m long and 10 m wide, with the bottom sloping uniformly from a depth of 1 m at one end to 3 m at the other. Find its volume in cubic meters and liters, and the time to fill it at 400 liters per minute.
    Show the full solution

    Choose the right decomposition. The pool is a prism lying on its side. Its uniform cross section is the vertical slice along the length, which is a trapezoid, and the width of 10 m is the prism's depth. Find the cross-sectional area. The trapezoid has parallel sides equal to the two depths, 1 m and 3 m, and the distance between them is the pool's length, 25 m. \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}(1 + 3)(25) = \dfrac{1}{2}(4)(25) = 50 \) square meters. Find the volume. \( V = 50 \times 10 = 500 \) cubic meters. Convert to liters. One cubic meter is 1,000 liters, so \( 500 \times 1000 = 500{,}000 \) liters. Find the filling time. \( \dfrac{500{,}000}{400} = 1250 \) minutes, which is \( \dfrac{1250}{60} \approx 20.83 \) hours, or about 20 hours and 50 minutes. Check by averaging. A uniform slope means the average depth is the mean of the two ends, \( \dfrac{1 + 3}{2} = 2 \) m. Then \( V = 25 \times 10 \times 2 = 500 \) cubic meters. Agrees, and this shortcut works precisely because the slope is uniform. A bottom that curved would make the average depth something other than the mean of the extremes. Sanity check on scale. A 25-meter pool holding half a million liters is plausible; a competition pool of 50 m holds around 2.5 million. And filling for nearly a day at a garden-hose-scale rate is realistic. What the model assumes. It treats the walls as vertical and the corners as square, ignores any steps or a ladder recess, and assumes the pool is filled to the brim rather than to a waterline a few inches below the edge. Each of those would reduce the true volume slightly, so 500 cubic meters is an upper bound. 500 cubic meters, 500,000 liters, about 1,250 minutes or 20 hours 50 minutes

Cumulative review 1 · 10 problems · units 1 to 6

Everything from foundations through the triangle centers

A unit review tells you which unit the problem came from. This one does not, which is the point: recognizing what kind of problem you are looking at is half of the work on a real test.

  1. \( B \) lies between \( A \) and \( C \), with \( AB = 4x - 1 \), \( BC = 2x + 7 \) and \( AC = 36 \). Find both shorter lengths.
    Show the full solution

    Segment addition: \( (4x - 1) + (2x + 7) = 36 \), so \( 6x + 6 = 36 \) and \( x = 5 \). \( AB = 19 \), \( BC = 17 \). Check: \( 19 + 17 = 36 \). Correct. \( AB = 19 \), \( BC = 17 \)

  2. Two vertical angles measure \( 4x + 7 \) and \( 6x - 13 \). Find their common measure.
    Show the full solution

    Vertical angles are congruent: \( 4x + 7 = 6x - 13 \), so \( 20 = 2x \) and \( x = 10 \). Each measures \( 47^\circ \). Check the other expression: \( 6(10) - 13 = 47 \). Correct. \( 47^\circ \)

  3. You are told two alternate interior angles are congruent. Name the theorem that lets you conclude the lines are parallel.
    Show the full solution

    The forward theorem assumes parallelism and would be circular here. The converse of the alternate interior angles theorem

  4. Two triangles share two pairs of congruent sides and the pair of angles between them. Name the criterion.
    Show the full solution

    SAS

  5. An isosceles triangle has a vertex angle of \( 36^\circ \). Find each base angle.
    Show the full solution

    \( \dfrac{180 - 36}{2} = 72^\circ \). Check: \( 72 + 72 + 36 = 180 \). Correct. \( 72^\circ \) each

  6. Two sides of a triangle are 8 and 15. Find the range of possible third sides.
    Show the full solution

    Greater than the difference and less than the sum: \( 15 - 8 \lt x \lt 15 + 8 \), so \( 7 \lt x \lt 23 \). Check an endpoint: at \( x = 7 \) the sides 7, 8, 15 give \( 7 + 8 = 15 \), a flat degenerate figure rather than a triangle. Correctly excluded. \( 7 \lt x \lt 23 \)

  7. A midsegment of a triangle measures 11. Find the side it is parallel to, and state the theorem.
    Show the full solution

    The midsegment theorem says the midsegment is parallel to the third side and half its length, so the side is \( 2 \times 11 = 22 \). 22, by the midsegment theorem

  8. A median measures 21. Find the distance from the vertex to the centroid.
    Show the full solution

    The centroid divides a median \( 2 : 1 \) from the vertex, so the median splits into three equal parts of \( \dfrac{21}{3} = 7 \). Vertex to centroid: \( 2 \times 7 = 14 \). Centroid to midpoint: 7. Check: \( 14 + 7 = 21 \) and \( \dfrac{14}{7} = 2 \). Correct. 14

  9. Reflect \( (5, -3) \) across the line \( y = x \), then state whether the image is congruent to the original point's figure and why.
    Show the full solution

    Reflection across \( y = x \) swaps the coordinates: \( (-3, 5) \). A reflection is a rigid motion, so it preserves every distance and angle measure. Any figure and its image under a rigid motion are congruent by the definition of congruence in lesson 4.7. \( (-3, 5) \); congruent, because reflection is a rigid motion

  10. Classify the quadrilateral with vertices \( (0,0) \), \( (5,0) \), \( (7,4) \) and \( (2,4) \) as specifically as the evidence allows.
    Show the full solution

    Compute the four sides. \( (0,0) \) to \( (5,0) \): 5. \( (5,0) \) to \( (7,4) \): \( \sqrt{4 + 16} = \sqrt{20} = 2\sqrt{5} \approx 4.47 \). \( (7,4) \) to \( (2,4) \): 5. \( (2,4) \) to \( (0,0) \): \( \sqrt{4 + 16} = 2\sqrt{5} \). Opposite sides are congruent in both pairs. Compute the slopes. Bottom: 0. Top: 0. Both horizontal, so parallel. Right: \( \dfrac{4}{2} = 2 \). Left: \( \dfrac{4}{2} = 2 \). Equal, so parallel. Both pairs of opposite sides are parallel, so it is a parallelogram. Rule out the special cases. Not a rectangle: adjacent slopes 0 and 2 have product 0, not \( -1 \), and a horizontal side is perpendicular only to a vertical one. Not a rhombus: \( 5 \ne 2\sqrt{5} \approx 4.47 \), so the sides are not all congruent. Not a square, since it is neither of the above. Confirm with the diagonals. \( (0,0) \) to \( (7,4) \): midpoint \( (3.5, 2) \), length \( \sqrt{49+16} = \sqrt{65} \). \( (5,0) \) to \( (2,4) \): midpoint \( (3.5, 2) \), length \( \sqrt{9+16} = 5 \). Midpoints coincide, so the diagonals bisect each other, consistent with a parallelogram. Lengths differ, confirming it is not a rectangle. A parallelogram that is neither a rectangle nor a rhombus

Cumulative review 2 · 10 problems · units 1 to 11

The whole year, shuffled

These draw on every unit, with the later ones combining two or three topics in a single problem. Work them without looking at the reference sheet first, then check which results you needed.

  1. A right triangle has legs 7 and 24. Find the hypotenuse.
    Show the full solution

    \( \sqrt{49 + 576} = \sqrt{625} = 25 \). The 7-24-25 triple. 25

  2. A \( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \) triangle has hypotenuse 18. Find both legs.
    Show the full solution

    Short leg is half the hypotenuse: 9. Long leg is \( 9\sqrt{3} \approx 15.59 \). Check: \( 81 + 243 = 324 = 18^2 \). Correct. 9 and \( 9\sqrt{3} \)

  3. An angle has opposite side 8 and hypotenuse 17. Find its sine and the angle.
    Show the full solution

    \( \sin\theta = \dfrac{8}{17} \approx 0.4706 \), so \( \theta = \sin^{-1}(0.4706) \approx 28.07^\circ \). The third side is \( \sqrt{289 - 64} = 15 \), the 8-15-17 triple. \( \frac{8}{17} \), about \( 28.07^\circ \)

  4. An inscribed angle intercepts a \( 140^\circ \) arc. Find the angle.
    Show the full solution

    Half the arc. \( 70^\circ \)

  5. A circle of radius 10 has a chord of length 16. Find the chord's distance from the center.
    Show the full solution

    The perpendicular from the center bisects the chord, giving a leg of 8. \( d = \sqrt{100 - 64} = \sqrt{36} = 6 \). The 6-8-10 triangle. 6

  6. Two similar triangles have a scale factor of \( \dfrac{3}{4} \). Find the ratio of their areas and of their perimeters.
    Show the full solution

    Perimeter is a length, so it scales by \( k = \dfrac{3}{4} \). Area scales by \( k^2 = \dfrac{9}{16} \). Areas \( 9 : 16 \), perimeters \( 3 : 4 \)

  7. A regular hexagon has side 6. Find its apothem and area.
    Show the full solution

    The hexagon splits into six equilateral triangles of side 6. The apothem is the height of one, found from a \( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \) triangle with hypotenuse 6 and short leg 3: the apothem is \( 3\sqrt{3} \approx 5.196 \). Perimeter: \( 6 \times 6 = 36 \). \( A = \dfrac{1}{2}(3\sqrt{3})(36) = 54\sqrt{3} \approx 93.53 \). Check another way: each equilateral triangle has area \( \dfrac{1}{2}(6)(3\sqrt{3}) = 9\sqrt{3} \), and six of them give \( 54\sqrt{3} \). Agrees. Apothem \( 3\sqrt{3} \), area \( 54\sqrt{3} \approx 93.53 \)

  8. A cone has radius 6 and height 8. Find its slant height, surface area and volume.
    Show the full solution

    Slant height: \( \sqrt{36 + 64} = 10 \). The 6-8-10 triangle. Surface area: \( \pi r^2 + \pi r l = 36\pi + 60\pi = 96\pi \approx 301.59 \). Volume: \( \dfrac{1}{3}\pi(36)(8) = 96\pi \approx 301.59 \). A coincidence worth noticing: the two numbers match here, but they are different quantities in different units, square units against cubic. Nothing general follows from it. Note which height each used: surface area took the slant 10, volume took the perpendicular 8. Slant 10, surface \( 96\pi \), volume \( 96\pi \)

  9. A solid's lengths are doubled. State what happens to its surface area and its volume, and explain why a large animal cannot be a scaled copy of a small one.
    Show the full solution

    Surface area is two-dimensional, so it multiplies by \( 2^2 = 4 \). Volume is three-dimensional, so it multiplies by \( 2^3 = 8 \). Why the biology follows. Weight follows volume and so multiplies by 8, while the bone cross section that supports it follows area and multiplies by only 4. The stress on each bone therefore doubles. Bone strength per unit area does not improve with size, so beyond some point the material fails. A large animal must have disproportionately thick limbs, which is why an elephant's leg bones are far stouter relative to their length than a mouse's. Surface \( \times 4 \), volume \( \times 8 \); stress grows in proportion to size

  10. A circle has equation \( x^2 + y^2 - 8x + 6y = 0 \). Find its center and radius, show it passes through the origin, and find the length of the chord it cuts on the \( x \)-axis.
    Show the full solution

    Complete the square twice. \( (x^2 - 8x) + (y^2 + 6y) = 0 \). Half of \( -8 \) is \( -4 \), squared 16. Half of 6 is 3, squared 9. Add both to both sides: \( (x - 4)^2 + (y + 3)^2 = 25 \). Center \( (4, -3) \), radius 5. Watch the signs: \( (y+3)^2 \) gives \( -3 \), and the right side is \( r^2 \), so the radius is 5 rather than 25. Check the origin. Substituting \( (0,0) \) into the original: \( 0 + 0 - 0 + 0 = 0 \). It satisfies the equation, so the circle passes through the origin. Confirming from the center form: the distance from \( (4,-3) \) to \( (0,0) \) is \( \sqrt{16 + 9} = 5 \), exactly the radius. Correct. Find the chord on the \( x \)-axis. Set \( y = 0 \) in the original: \( x^2 - 8x = 0 \), so \( x(x - 8) = 0 \) and \( x = 0 \) or \( x = 8 \). The circle meets the \( x \)-axis at \( (0,0) \) and \( (8,0) \), so the chord has length 8. Check with the chord relationship. The distance from the center \( (4,-3) \) to the \( x \)-axis is 3. Then \( \left( \dfrac{c}{2} \right)^2 = r^2 - d^2 = 25 - 9 = 16 \), so the half-chord is 4 and the chord is 8. Agrees, and this is the 3-4-5 triple again. What this problem combined. Completing the square from unit 10, the distance formula from unit 1, the chord relationship from unit 10.2, and the Pythagorean triple recognition from unit 9. Three units in one problem, which is what a cumulative review is for. Center \( (4,-3) \), radius 5, chord of length 8

Reference · always available

Everything this course lets you quote without proving it

A proof may cite any theorem already established. This sheet lists them, with the lesson that proves each one, so you can check whether a result is available to you yet. Nothing here is meant to be memorized in one sitting; it is meant to be looked up.

Calculator policy. Only the trigonometry of unit 9 needs one, and it must be in degree mode. A quick test: \( \sin 30^\circ \) must give exactly 0.5. If it gives \( -0.988 \) the calculator is in radians. Everywhere else in this course, leave answers exact: write \( 5\sqrt{2} \) rather than 7.07, and \( 12\pi \) rather than 37.70, unless a question asks for a decimal.

Coordinate geometry

ResultWhere it comes from
\( d = \sqrt{(x_2-x_1)^2 + (y_2-y_1)^2} \)Distance, lesson 1.2
\( M = \left( \dfrac{x_1+x_2}{2}, \dfrac{y_1+y_2}{2} \right) \)Midpoint, lesson 1.2
\( m = \dfrac{y_2-y_1}{x_2-x_1} \)Slope, lesson 3.5
Parallel: equal slopes. Perpendicular: \( m_1m_2 = -1 \)Lesson 3.5
\( \dfrac{\left| Ax_0 + By_0 - C \right|}{\sqrt{A^2+B^2}} \)Point to line, lesson 3.7
\( (x-h)^2 + (y-k)^2 = r^2 \)Circle, lesson 10.6

Angles and lines

ResultWhere it comes from
Vertical angles are congruentLesson 2.6
A linear pair is supplementaryLesson 1.4
Parallel lines: corresponding, alternate interior and alternate exterior angles are congruentLesson 3.2
Parallel lines: same-side interior angles are supplementaryLesson 3.2
Each converse proves lines parallelLesson 3.3

Triangles

ResultWhere it comes from
Angle sum \( 180^\circ \); exterior angle equals the two remote interiorsLesson 5.7
Congruence: SSS, SAS, ASA, AAS, HL. Not SSA.Lessons 5.2 to 5.4
CPCTC, used only after congruence is establishedLesson 5.5
Isosceles: base angles congruent, and the converseLesson 5.7
Midsegment is parallel to the third side and half its lengthLesson 6.5
Centroid divides each median \( 2 : 1 \) from the vertexLesson 6.3
Circumcenter equidistant from vertices; incenter from sidesLessons 6.1, 6.2
Longer side faces the larger angle; \( a + b \gt c \)Lessons 6.6, 6.7
Similarity: AA, SSS~, SAS~Lesson 8.4
A line parallel to one side divides the other two proportionallyLesson 8.5

Right triangles and trigonometry

ResultWhere it comes from
\( a^2 + b^2 = c^2 \), and the converse classifiesLesson 9.1
\( 45 \)-\( 45 \)-\( 90 \): \( x : x : x\sqrt{2} \)Lesson 9.2
\( 30 \)-\( 60 \)-\( 90 \): \( x : x\sqrt{3} : 2x \)Lesson 9.2
\( \sin\theta = \dfrac{\text{opp}}{\text{hyp}} \), \( \cos\theta = \dfrac{\text{adj}}{\text{hyp}} \), \( \tan\theta = \dfrac{\text{opp}}{\text{adj}} \)Lesson 9.3
\( \sin\theta = \cos(90^\circ - \theta) \)Lesson 9.7
Altitude to the hypotenuse: \( h = \sqrt{pq} \); each leg is the geometric mean of the hypotenuse and its adjacent segmentLesson 8.6
Triples worth recognizing: 3-4-5, 5-12-13, 8-15-17, 7-24-25, 9-40-41Lesson 9.1

Quadrilaterals

ResultWhere it comes from
Interior angle sum \( (n-2)180^\circ \); exterior sum \( 360^\circ \)Lesson 7.1
Parallelogram: opposite sides and angles congruent, consecutive angles supplementary, diagonals bisect each otherLesson 7.2
Five tests prove a parallelogramLesson 7.3
Rhombus: perpendicular diagonals. Rectangle: congruent diagonalsLesson 7.4
Kite: perpendicular diagonals. Isosceles trapezoid: congruent base anglesLesson 7.5

Circles

ResultWhere it comes from
Central angle equals its arc; inscribed angle is half its arcLessons 10.1, 10.4
Angle inscribed in a semicircle is rightLesson 10.4
Cyclic quadrilateral: opposite angles supplementaryLesson 10.4
A diameter perpendicular to a chord bisects it; \( r^2 = d^2 + \left( \dfrac{c}{2} \right)^2 \)Lesson 10.2
Tangent is perpendicular to the radius; two tangents from a point are congruentLesson 10.3
Vertex inside: half the sum of the arcs. Vertex outside: half the differenceLesson 10.5
Chords: \( ab = cd \). Secants: whole \( \times \) external. Tangent: \( t^2 = \) whole \( \times \) externalLesson 10.5
Arc length \( \dfrac{\theta}{360} \cdot 2\pi r \); sector area \( \dfrac{\theta}{360} \cdot \pi r^2 \)Lesson 10.6

Area, surface area and volume

FormulaFigure
\( A = bh \)Rectangle, parallelogram
\( A = \dfrac{1}{2}bh \)Triangle
\( A = \dfrac{1}{2}(b_1 + b_2)h \)Trapezoid
\( A = \dfrac{1}{2}d_1d_2 \)Rhombus, kite
\( A = \dfrac{1}{2}ap \)Regular polygon
\( A = \sqrt{s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)} \)Heron, from three sides
\( C = 2\pi r \), \( A = \pi r^2 \)Circle
\( S = 2B + Ph \), \( V = Bh \)Prism, cylinder
\( S = B + \dfrac{1}{2}Pl \), \( V = \dfrac{1}{3}Bh \)Pyramid, cone
\( S = 4\pi r^2 \), \( V = \dfrac{4}{3}\pi r^3 \)Sphere
Slant height: \( l = \sqrt{h^2 + r^2} \) for a coneLesson 11.4

The distinction that costs the most marks here: surface area uses the slant height and volume uses the perpendicular height. The same solid uses two different heights for its two measurements.

Scaling

If every length is multiplied by \( k \)Then
Lengths, perimeters, apothems, radiimultiply by \( k \)
Areas and surface areasmultiply by \( k^2 \)
Volumesmultiply by \( k^3 \)

Read backward: an area ratio of \( 25 : 9 \) means a length ratio of \( 5 : 3 \), and a volume ratio of \( 27 : 8 \) means a length ratio of \( 3 : 2 \). Take the square root or the cube root.

The four errors this course names

ErrorWhat it looks like
Reading an unmarked fact off the picture"These sides look equal, so they are congruent"
Using the theorem being provedCiting the Pythagorean theorem to prove a triangle is right
Confusing a statement with its converseCiting the alternate interior angles theorem to prove lines parallel
A congruence statement whose letters do not correspondWriting \( \triangle ABC \cong \triangle EFD \) when \( A \) matches \( D \)

Unit recap

Unit recap

0:00 / 0:00

Animated recap with on-screen narration. Turn on Voice to have it read aloud (uses your device's built-in voice). Pressing play counts as your one free video.

Free preview complete

That's the end of the free preview.

You've opened five lessons, which is as much as we can show without a subscription. Everything you've already opened stays available; use the outline on the left to go back to it.

Book a tutor instead