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Lessons 4-3 and 4-4

Proving Triangles Congruent

This Powerpoint has been modified by Lisa Palen from

a Powerpoint found at www.worldofteaching.com and a
Powerpoint found at IGO Geometry Online
The Idea of Congruence

Two geometric figures with

exactly the same size and
shape.
F

A C E D
How much do you
need to know. . .

. . . about two triangles

to prove that they
are congruent?
 Corresponding Parts
In Lesson 4-2, you learned that if all
six pairs of corresponding parts (sides
and angles) are congruent, then the
triangles are congruent.
1. AB  DE
2. BC  EF
3. AC  DF
4.  A   D
ABC   DEF
5.  B   E
6.  C   F
Do you need all six ?

NO !

SSS
SAS
ASA
AAS
HL
 Side-Side-Side (SSS)
If the sides of one triangle are congruent to the sides of a
second triangle, then the triangles are congruent.

Side

Side

Side
1. AB  DE
2. BC  EF ABC   DEF
3. AC  DF The triangles
are congruent by
SSS.
 Included Angle
The angle between two sides

 HGI  GIH  GHI

 G  I  H

This combo is called

side-angle-side, or just SAS.
 Included Angle

Name the included angle:

E

YE and ES  YES or E
ES and YS  YSE or S

Y S YS and YE  EYS or Y
The other two
angles are the
NON-INCLUDED
angles.
 Side-Angle-Side (SAS)
If two sides and the included angle of one triangle are
congruent to the two sides and the included angle of another
triangle, then the triangles are congruent.
included
angle
Side

Side

1. AB  DE Angle

2. A   D ABC   DEF
3. AC  DF The triangles
are congruent by
SAS.
 Included Side
The side between two angles

GI HI GH

This combo is called

angle-side-angle, or just ASA.
 Included Side

Name the included side:

E

Y and E YE
E and S ES
Y S S and Y SY
The other two
sides are the
NON-INCLUDED
sides.
 Angle-Side-Angle (ASA)
If two angles and the included side of one triangle are
congruent to the two angles and the included side of another
triangle, then the triangles are congruent.
included
Angle
side
Side

Angle

1. A   D
2. AB  DE ABC   DEF
3.  B   E The triangles
are congruent by
ASA.
 Angle-Angle-Side (AAS)
If two angles and a non-included side of one triangle are
congruent to the corresponding angles and side of another
triangle, then the triangles are congruent.
Non-included
Angle
side Side

Angle
1. A   D
2.  B   E ABC   DEF
3. BC  EF The triangles
are congruent by
AAS.
Warning: No SSA Postulate

There is no such
thing as an SSA
postulate!

Side
Angle

Side

The triangles are

NOTcongruent!
Warning: No SSA Postulate

There is no such
thing as an SSA
postulate!

NOT CONGRUENT!
BUT: SSA DOES work in one
situation!
If we know that
the two triangles
are right
triangles!

Side Side
Side

Angle
 We call this
HL,
for “Hypotenuse – Leg”

Remember!
The
Hypotenuse Hypotenuse triangles
Leg must be
RIGHT!

RIGHT Triangles!

These triangles ARE CONGRUENT by HL!

 Hypotenuse-Leg (HL)
If the hypotenuse and a leg of a right triangle are congruent
to the hypotenuse and a leg of another right triangle, then the
triangles are congruent.

Right Triangle

Leg

1.AB  HL
2.CB  GL ABC   DEF
3.C and G The triangles
are rt.  ‘s are congruent
by HL.
 Warning: No AAA Postulate
There is no such
thing as an AAA
postulate!

Same E Different
B Sizes!
Shapes!

A C F
D

NOT CONGRUENT!
Congruence Postulates
and Theorems
• SSS
• SAS
• ASA
• AAS
• AAA?
• SSA?
• HL
Name That Postulate
(when possible)

SAS
ASA

SSA AAS
Not enough
info!
 Name That Postulate
(when possible)

AAA Not enough

info!

SSS

SSA SSA
Not enough
info! HL
 Name That Postulate
(when possible)

Not enough
Not enough info!
info!
SSA

SSA

HL AAA
Not enough
info!
 Vertical Angles,
Reflexive Sides and Angles
When two triangles touch, there may be
additional congruent parts.
Vertical Angles

Reflexive Side
side shared by two
triangles
 Name That Postulate
(when possible)

Vertical
Angles
Reflexive
Property SAS SAS

Vertical Reflexive
Angles AAS Property SSA
Not enough
info!
 Reflexive Sides and Angles
When two triangles overlap, there may be
additional congruent parts.
Reflexive Side
side shared by two
triangles

Reflexive Angle
angle shared by two
triangles
 Let’s Practice
Indicate the additional information needed
to enable us to apply the specified
congruence postulate.

For ASA: B  D
For SAS: AC  FE
For AAS: A  F
What’s Next

Try Some Proofs

End Slide Show

 Choose a
End Slide Show
Problem.
A B
Problem #1
SSS D C

A C
Problem #2 B
SAS E D
X
Problem #3 W Y
ASA
Z
 Problem #4 AAS
Given: A  C A C
BE  BD B
Prove: ABE  CBD
E D
Statements Reasons
Given
Vertical Angles Thm

Given

4. ABE  CBD AAS Postulate

55
 Problem #5 AHL
Given ABC, ADC right s,

AB  AD
Prove:

ABC  ADC B C D
Statements Reasons
1. ABC, ADC right s Given

AB  AD Given

3. AC  AC Reflexive Property

4. ABC  ADC HL Postulate

57
Congruence Proofs
1. Mark the Given.
2. Mark …
Reflexive Sides or Angles / Vertical Angles
Also: mark info implied by given info.
3. Choose a Method. (SSS , SAS, ASA)
4. List the Parts …
in the order of the method.
5. Fill in the Reasons …
why you marked the parts.
6. Is there more?
Given implies Congruent
Parts
midpoint  segments

parallel  angles

segment bisector  segments

angle bisector  angles

perpendicular  angles
Example Problem
Given: AC bisects BAD A
AB  AD
Prove: ABC  ADC
B C D
 … and
what it
Step 1: Mark the Given implies
Given: AC bisects BAD A
AB  AD
Prove: ABC  ADC
B C D
 •Reflexive Sides
Step 2: Mark . . .•Vertical Angles
Given: AC bisects BAD A
AB  AD
Prove: ABC  ADC
B C D

… if they exist.
Step 3: Choose a Method
Given: AC bisects BAD A
AB  AD
Prove: ABC  ADC
B C D
SSS
SAS
ASA
AAS
HL
 Step 4: List the Parts
Given: AC bisects BAD A
AB  AD
Prove: ABC  ADC
B C D
STATEMENTS REASONS

S AB  AD

A BAC  DAC
S AC  AC
… in the order of the Method
 Step 5: Fill in the
Reasons
Given: AC bisects BAD A
AB  AD
Prove: ABC  ADC
B C D
STATEMENTS REASONS

S AB  AD Given

A BAC  DAC Def. of Bisector

S AC  AC Reflexive (prop.)
(Why did you mark those parts?)
 Step 6: Is there more?
Given: AC bisects BAD A
AB  AD
Prove: ABC  ADC
B C D
STATEMENTS REASONS

S 1. AB  AD 1. Given
2. AC bisects BAD 2. Given
A 3. BAC  DAC 3. Def. of Bisector
S 4. AC  AC 4. Reflexive (prop.)
5. ABC  ADC 5. SAS (pos.)
Congruent Triangles Proofs
1. Mark the Given and what it implies.
2. Mark … Reflexive Sides / Vertical Angles
3. Choose a Method. (SSS , SAS, ASA)
4. List the Parts …
in the order of the method.
5. Fill in the Reasons …
why you marked the parts.
6. Is there more?
 Using CPCTC in Proofs

• According to the definition of congruence, if two

triangles are congruent, their corresponding parts
(sides and angles) are also congruent.

• This means that two sides or angles that are not

marked as congruent can be proven to be congruent if
they are part of two congruent triangles.

• This reasoning, when used to prove congruence, is

abbreviated CPCTC, which stands for Corresponding
Parts of Congruent Triangles are Congruent.
 Corresponding Parts of
Congruent Triangles

• For example, can you prove that sides AD and BC are

congruent in the figure at right?

• The sides will be congruent if triangle ADM is congruent

to triangle BCM.
– Angles A and B are congruent because they are marked.
– Sides MA and MB are congruent because they are marked.
– Angles 1 and 2 are congruent because they are vertical
angles.
– So triangle ADM is congruent to triangle BCM by ASA.

• This means sides AD and BC are congruent by CPCTC.

 Corresponding Parts of
Congruent Triangles
• A two column proof that sides AD and BC
are congruent in the figure at right is shown
below:
Statement Reason
MA  MB Given
A  B Given
1  2 Vertical angles
ADM  BCM ASA
AD  BC CPCTC
 Corresponding Parts of
Congruent Triangles
• A two column proof that sides AD and BC
are congruent in the figure at right is shown
below:
Statement Reason
MA  MB Given
A  B Given
1  2 Vertical angles
ADM  BCM ASA
AD  BC CPCTC
 Corresponding Parts of
Congruent Triangles
• Sometimes it is necessary to add an auxiliary
line in order to complete a proof
• For example, to prove R  O in this picture

Statement Reason
FR  FO Given
RU  OU Given
UF  UF reflexive prop.
FRU  FOU SSS
R  O CPCTC
 Corresponding Parts of
Congruent Triangles
• Sometimes it is necessary to add an auxiliary
line in order to complete a proof
• For example, to prove R  O in this picture

Statement Reason
FR  FO Given
RU  OU Given
UF  UF Same segment
FRU  FOU SSS
R  O CPCTC