Math Notes #14: Triangles

Vignesh Senthil Kumar · August 28, 2020

Triangle Basics: ​There are a couple of basic facts about triangles that you must know in
order to do well on the SAT. First off, a triangle consists of three sides and has three angles
that all add up to ​180 degrees​. The largest side of the triangle must be less than the sum of
the other two sides, or else a triangle cannot be formed. There are four types of triangles
you need to know: equilateral, isosceles, scalene, and right. Equilateral triangles have side
lengths that are all the same (which means each angle is 60 degrees). Isosceles triangles
consist of two equal sides and angles (the one unique angle exists where the two equal
sides meet). Scalene triangles consist of three unique sides and angles. Right triangles are
so special that they will have their own section below.

Right Triangles: ​As mentioned above, right triangles are probably the most important
type of triangle, at least on the SAT Math section. They consist of one 90-degree angle and
two other acute angles that add up to 90 degrees. The two sides that make up the
90-degree angle are called the ​legs​ of the triangle, while the longest side is the
hypotenuse​. The side lengths of the triangle fit into the equation a2 + b2 = c2 , where ​a ​and
b ​are the legs of the triangle and ​c ​is the hypothenuse of the triangle.

Special Right Triangles: ​There are also two special right triangles, 30-60-90 and
45-45-90, named after their angle measures. These triangles are important as they come up
often, and all triangles with those specific angle measures have side-lengths that are
proportional. The side-length proportions can be found in the image below. For example, if
a triangle is a 30-60-90 triangle, and the smallest side has a measure of 1, the hypotenuse
would be 2(1), and the other leg would be √3 (1). The diagrams for the special right
triangles can be found in the formulas section on the first page of sections 3 and 4 on the
exam, however, it is important to memorize these in order to increase speed.

Similar Triangles: ​Similar triangles are triangles with the same angles, but different side
lengths. However, because the angles are congruent, the side lengths must be proportional,
meaning corresponding side lengths follow under the same ratio for all three sides. This
concept is what allows for the special right triangles seen above.

Radians: ​Radians are a unit of measurement that can be used instead of degrees. The way
π radians
to convert an angle in degrees is to multiply the angle measure by 180 degrees . ​To convert
180 degrees
an angle measure from radians to degrees, multiply the angle measure by π radians .
Radians are used extensively in trigonometry and higher-level math while degrees are
primarily used in geometry. It is also important to ​know how to change between radians
and degrees settings on your scientific/graphing calculator.

Extra Practice: ​Below is some practice questions on this topic. The answers are at the very
end. The practice questions are taken from a prep book made by College Panda. You can get
your own copy if you want more practice material.