Unknown Triangles and

Angles
Unit: Geometry
Period: Intermediate Algebra
Grade Level: 7th Grade
Instructor: Miss Cristina Cervantes
Objectives and CA Content Standards
Students will be able to:
• Differentiate and classify triangles by sides and angles.
• Use a given figure to create equations to solve angles.

Geometry 7.G
2. Draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with technology)
geometric shapes with given conditions. Focus on constructing triangles
from three measures of angles or sides, noticing when the conditions
determine a unique triangle, more than one triangle, or no triangle.
5. Use facts about supplementary, complementary, vertical, and
adjacent angles in a multi-step problem to write and solve simple
equations for an unknown angle in a figure.
What are the types of triangles
do you see daily?
 Review of Triangles
What we know a triangle must have:

• 3 sides
• 3 angles
• The amount of angles must equal 180∘.

1 2
180∘

3 2

3
 Definitions
Classifying Triangles: By Sides

• An equilateral triangle has 3 sides of the same length.

• An isosceles triangle has at least 2 sides of the same length.
• A scalene triangle has three sides of different lengths.

Triangles

Isosceles

Scalene

Equilateral
 NOW YOU TRY

Triangles Names Draw and Label Sides

 ANSWER

Triangles Names Draw and Label Sides

2 2
Equilateral

5
Isosceles
5

8
Scalene
7
4
 Definitions
Classifying Triangles: By Angles
• An acute triangle has three acute angles.
• A right triangle has one right angle.
• An obtuse triangle has one obtuse angle.
Reminder:
All
Acute Triangle: All three triangles
angles are less than 90∘. must equal
180∘.
Right Triangle: One
angle is 90∘.
∟

Obtuse Triangle: One

angle over 90∘.

Right triangles always

have a right angle of 90∘.
 NOW YOU TRY

Triangles Names Draw and Label Angles

Acute

Right
∟

Obtuse
 ANSWER

Triangles Names Draw and Label Angles

70∘
Acute
70∘ 40∘

50∘
Right
∟

∟
40∘ 90∘

Obtuse 30∘

35∘ 115∘
 Definitions
Intersecting Lines
• Vertical Angles: Angles opposite each other.
• Congruent: Two angles have the same measure.
Ø The symbol ≅ means “is congruent to.”

2
Vertical Angles Theorem: 1 3
Vertical angles are congruent to each other. 4

Using the Vertical Angles for the

diagram in the right, we have in ∠1 and ∠3 are vertical angles.
symbolic form ∠2 and ∠4 are vertical angles.

∠1 ≅ ∠3 and ∠2 ≅ ∠4
 NOW YOU TRY

The measure of ∠1 is 72∘, and the measure of ∠2

is 108∘.
Find the measures of ∠3 and ∠4.

Figure 1
 Answer

Figure 1

We also
∠1 = 72∘ ∠1 ≅ ∠3 So ∠3 = 72∘
know
We know
We also
∠2 = 108∘ ∠2 ≅ ∠4 So ∠4 = 108∘
know
 Definitions
Special Pairs of Angles: Complementary and
Supplementary
Two angles are complementary if Two angles are supplementary if the
the sum of their measures is 90∘. sum of their measures if 180∘.

60∘ 30∘ 150∘ 30∘

60∘ + 30∘ = 90∘ 150∘ + 30∘ = 180∘

 Now You Try
Determine if the angles are complementary, supplementary or neither.

a. b. c.

45∘ 125∘
32∘
58∘
63∘ 117∘
 Answers

32∘ + 58∘ = 90∘ 63∘ + 117∘ = 180∘ 45∘ + 125∘ = 170∘

Complementary Supplementary Neither
 Definitions
Special Pairs of Angles: Adjacent Angles
• Vertex: A point where the sides of angle meet.
• Adjacent Angles: Two angles in the same plane that share a vertex and
common side but do not overlap.

1
1
2
2

Adjacent
1
2
Vertex
 NOW YOU TRY
Determine if ∠1 and ∠2 are adjacent and describe why or why not.

a. b. a.
1
1
2
2

b.
1

c. c.
 Answers
Determine if ∠1 and ∠2 are adjacent. Describe why or why not.

a. b. a.
It is not adjacent. They share a
1 vertex but not a side.
1
2
2

b.
It is adjacent. They share a
1 side and a vertex.

c. c. No, it is not adjacent. They

share a vertex but not a side.

= Vertex
 Use What We Learned in Intersecting
Lines: Finding Angle Measures
Find the unknown values.

a. Ask Yourself b.
70∘ • Does the angles look
familiar to the four 52∘ x
x angles?
• Is there a distinguish
trait? • Looks like supplementary.
• What are the • The diagram has the supplementary
• Seems to be vertical. provided
• Opposite from one form.
measurements? What • One angle equals 52∘ and we know
another. do I know. supplementary has to equal 180∘.
x = 70∘
52∘ + x = 180∘
− 52 ∘ = − 52∘

x = 128∘
 NOW YOU TRY
Solve for the unknown variable.

a. b.

67∘ x
 ANSWERS

a. b.

67∘ x

x + 67∘ = 180∘ x + x = 180∘

− 67∘ = − 67∘ 2x = 180∘
x = 113∘ x = 90∘
 THINK FURTHER

“
Why is the equilateral
sectioned with the isosceles?
Hint- Look at the definitions.
”
Triangles

Isosceles

Scalene

Equilateral
“ What angle would define the
intersecting lines from part b.
be?
Hint - Classifying Triangles: By Angles
b.
”

x + x = 180∘
2x = 180∘
x = 90∘