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ISOSCELES TRIANGLES AND CONGRUENT TRIANGLES CHALLENGE PROBLEMS

ADV GEOMETRY | PACKER COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE

1. Coordinate Geometry! Use the graph paper below to help you.

(a) It is relatively easy to find coordinates of an isosceles triangle that has one
horizontal or vertical side, where the vertices are lattice points (coordinates that
are integer values). Find three vertices of a triangle, where one of your sides is
horizontal or vertical:
My three vertices are: _________, _________, and __________ and I have one side that
is (circle one) horizontal/vertical.
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(b) It is harder to find coordinates of an isosceles triangle that does not have any
horizontal or vertical sides. It is possible to do this with only lattice points
(coordinates that are integer values).
My three vertices are: _________, _________, and __________.

2. The sides of the triangle at right are formed by the graphs of

Line A: 3x+2y=1,
Line B: y=x2, and
Line C: 4x+9y=22
Here is a graph of the three lines.
Identify which of the three lines are
A, B, and C.
The triangle certainly looks
isosceles. Is it? How do you know?
Give me incontrovertible evidence
that this triangle is or is not
isosceles.

3. The perimeter of an isosceles right triangle is 24 cm. How long are its sides?

4. We know that the following four sets of information are enough to show that any
two triangles with the information are (for certain) congruent: SSS, SAS, ASA, AAS.
Lets start out knowing you have a right triangle. What is the minimum amount of
additional information (besides the right angle) that you need in order to conclude
that two triangles are congruent? Recall when we say minimum, it means that if
you have any less information, you cannot conclude that the triangles are
congruent, and any more information is unnecessary.
Some diagrams are below to help you.

5. The figure below shows a parallelogram PQRS, three of whose vertices are P = (0,
0), Q = (xQ, yQ), and S = (xS, yS).

(a) Find the coordinates of R.

(b)Find the coordinates of the midpoint of segment SQ.

(c) Find the coordinates of the midpoint of segment PR.

(d)You have just proved something about the diagonals of a parallelogram. What have
you just proved?

6. Given square ABCD, let P and Q be the points outside the square that make
triangles CDP and BCQ equilateral. Prove that triangle APQ is also equilateral.

7. Given an angle, using a straight edge and compass only, it is possible to construct
an angle bisector of the angle. Show how this is possible and be sure you can
support your method with deductive evidence.

8. Below you are given three isosceles triangles, one with an apex angle of 40
degrees, one with an apex angle of 30 degrees, and one with base angles of 32
degrees. For each diagram: draw in one additional line segment that will chop the
big isosceles triangle into two smaller triangles where one of the smaller triangles
is isosceles. Then label all the angles in the two smaller triangles.

9. Okay, follow up to the previous question. Ready? Go! Given the perfect isosceles
triangle to begin with, you can make one single line segment which will create two
smaller triangles which are both isosceles. Seriously?!?! Seriously! Were telling
you its actually possible! In fact, there might be more than one perfect triangle
you can start with! Git to it! Find this perfect triangle (or more, if there are more)!

10.

(a) Here is a circle. Here is an angle given. Find the missing angle!

(b) Here is a circle. You are given an angle theta. Find the missing angle!

For Your Information:

(c) You have just come up with a general conclusion
involving central angles and their corresponding
inscribed angles. What is that conclusion/theorem?