Triangle Congruence

Angle Relationships in Triangles

Key Objectives
Find the measure of interior and exterior angles of triangles.
Apply theorems about the interior and exterior angles of triangles.

Key Terms

An auxiliary line is a line that is added to a figure to aid in a proof.

A corollary is a theorem whose proof follows directly from another theorem.
The interior of a figure is the set of all points inside the figure.
The exterior of a figure is the set of all points outside the figure.
An interior angle is formed by two sides of a polygon.
An exterior angle is formed by one side of a polygon and the extension of an adjacent side.
Each exterior angle has two remote interior angles. A remote interior angle is an interior angle that is not adjacent to the
exterior angle.

Theorems, Postulates, Corollaries, and Properties

Triangle Sum Theorem The sum of the angle measures of a triangle is 180.
Corollary The acute angles of a right triangle are complementary.
Corollary The measure of each angle of an equiangular triangle is 60.
Exterior Angle Theorem The measure of an exterior angle of a triangle is equal to the sum of the measures of its remote
interior angles.
Third Angles Theorem If two angles of one triangle are congruent to two angles of another triangle, then the third pair
of angles are congruent.

Example 1 Triangle Sum Theorem

The Triangle Sum Theorem states that the sum of the interior
angles of any triangle is 180. This conclusion can be
visualized by manipulating a triangle's angles. Begin with a
triangle of any type or size and cut the angles (corners) off
so that each piece of the triangle contains one vertex. Each
piece represents one of the triangle's interior angles. Then,
place the three angles so that they meet at their vertices. The
three angles always form a straight angle, no matter what
type or size of triangle is used. The measure of a straight
angle is always 180. Therefore, the sum of the angle
measures of a triangle is always 180.

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Geometry

The figure given here is a four-sided polygon that is divided

into three triangles: ABE, BDE, and BCD. The measures
of four angles are given.
First, find mCBD. Notice that CBD is an angle in BCD
and the measures of the other two angles in BCD are given,
mC = 93 and mBDC = 42. Use the Triangle Sum
Theorem (sum of a triangle's three angles is 180) to write
an equation and solve the equation to find mCBD.
Now, find mEAB. Notice that EAB is an angle in ABE.
However, the measure of only one other angle in ABE is
given, mAEB = 48. So, mABE must be found before the
Triangle Sum Theorem can be used. Since ABE is one of
three angles that form a straight angle and the measures of
the other two angles are known, use the definition of a straight
angle (a straight angle measures 180) to write an equation.
mABE + mEBD + mCBD = 180
Now substitute the known measures of EBD and CBD
into the equation and solve to find mABE.
Once mABE is found, the Triangle Sum Theorem can be
used with ABE to find mEAB.

Example 2 Finding Angle Measures in Right Angles

The first corollary states that in a right triangle, the two acute
angles must be complementary (their sum is 90). This
corollary follows from the Triangle Sum Theorem. By the
Triangle Sum Theorem, the sum of the angle measures of a
triangle is always 180. In a right triangle, one of those three
angles is 90. So, the sum of the other two angles must be
180 90, or 90, which means those two angles are
complementary.
The second corollary states that each angle measures 60 in
an equiangular triangle. Again, by the Triangle Sum Theorem,
the sum of the angle measures of a triangle is always 180.
In an equiangular triangle all three angles are congruent.
Therefore, the measure of each angle is 180/3, or 60.

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Triangle Congruence

A right triangle is given in this example. One acute angle's

measure is given to be 15.3. The measure of the second acute
angle can be found in two ways. Both methods are explained
below, but Method 1 is used in the example to the left.
Method 1 Use the Triangle Sum Theorem to find the measure
of the unknown angle. By the Triangle Sum Theorem, the
sum of the measure of the unknown angle (represented here
by ?), 15.3, and 90 must be equal to 180. Use this fact to
write an equation and then solve for ?.
Method 2 Use the fact that the sum of the acute angles of a
right triangle is 90 to find the measure of the unknown angle.
So, the sum of ? and 15.3 must be 90.
? + 15.3 = 90
It follows that ? = 90 15.3 = 74.7. So, the measure of
the other acute angle is 74.7.

Example 3 Applying the Exterior Angle Theorem

The angles of a triangle are classified in three ways in the theorem below: exterior angles, interior angles, and remote interior
angles. A triangle's interior angles are just the three angles inside the triangle. In the figure below, 1, 2, and 3 are interior
angles. An exterior angle is formed when one of the triangle's sides is extended beyond the vertex. The sides of the exterior
angle are the extension and the adjacent side of the triangle. Here, 4 is an exterior angle. Each exterior angle has two remote
interior angles, where each remote interior angle is an interior angle that is not adjacent to the exterior angle. Here, 1 and
2 are the remote interior angles to 4.
The Exterior Angle Theorem relates the measure of an
exterior angle to the measures of its remote interior angles.
If any exterior angle is drawn on a triangle, its measure is
equal to the sum of the measures of its remote interior angles.

In this figure, IJK is an exterior angle because its sides are

formed by one side of the triangle and an extension of the
adjacent side. The remote interior angles to IJK in HIJ
are H and I. So, by the Exterior Angle Theorem, mIJK
must be equal to the sum of mH and mI. Use this fact to
write an equation. Substitute the expressions given in the
figure for mH and mI and the given measure of IJK
into the equation and solve for x. Then, substitute the value
of x into the expression given for mH and simplify to find
mH.

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Geometry

Example 4 Applying the Third Angles Theorem

The Third Angles Theorem states that if there are two
triangles such that two angles in one triangle are congruent
to two angles in the other triangle, then the third angles in
the two triangles must be congruent.

In this example, it is given that Z and O are right angles,

so they are congruent. It is also given that Y is congruent
to N. Therefore, two angles in XYZ are congruent to two
angles in MNO. So, by the Third Angles Theorem, X (the
third angle of XYZ) must be congruent to M (the third
angle of MNO).
Use the fact that X M to write an equation. Substitute
the expressions given in the figure for mX and mM into
the equation and solve for x2. Notice that x2 is used in each
expression, not just x, so solving for x2 is sufficient.
Once the value of x2 is known, mX is also known since
mX = x2. So, mX = 40.
Substitute 40 for x2 in the expression for mM and simplify
to find mM.

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