NAME _____________________________________________ DATE ____________________________ PERIOD _____________

4-1 Study Guide and Intervention

Classifying Triangles
Classify Triangles by Angles One way to classify a triangle is by the measures of its angles.

• If all three of the angles of a triangle are acute angles, then the triangle is an acute triangle.
• If all three angles of an acute triangle are congruent, then the triangle is an equiangular triangle.
• If one of the angles of a triangle is an obtuse angle, then the triangle is an obtuse triangle.
• If one of the angles of a triangle is a right angle, then the triangle is a right triangle.

Example: Classify each triangle.

a.
Acute triangle

All three of the angles are acute

All three angles are congruent, so all three angles have measure 60°. The triangle is an equiangular triangle.

b. all three angles are congruent

equiangular triangle

The triangle has one angle that is obtuse. It is an obtuse triangle.

c. the triangle has one obtuse angle

obtuse triangle

The triangle has one right angle. It is a right triangle.

Exercises
Classify each triangle as acute, equiangular, obtuse, or right.
equiangular
1. right triangle 2. 3.
triangle
has a right angle obtuse triangle all angles are
has an obtuse angle congruent

4. 5. right triangle
6.
acute triangle
has a right triangle
all three angles are acute

obtuse angle
has an obtuse angle

Chapter 4 5 Glencoe Geometry

NAME _____________________________________________ DATE ____________________________ PERIOD _____________

4-1 Study Guide and Intervention (continued)

Classifying Triangles
Classify Triangles by Sides You can classify a triangle by the number of congruent sides. Equal numbers of hash
marks indicate congruent sides.

• If all three sides of a triangle are congruent, then the triangle is an equilateral triangle.
• If at least two sides of a triangle are congruent, then the triangle is an isosceles triangle. Equilateral triangles can
also be considered isosceles.
• If no two sides of a triangle are congruent, then the triangle is a scalene triangle.

Example: Classify each triangle.

a. b. c.

Two sides are congruent. The All three sides are congruent. The The triangle has no pair of
triangle is an isosceles triangle. triangle is an equilateral triangle. congruent sides. It is a scalene
triangle.
Exercises
Classify each triangle as equilateral, isosceles, or scalene.

1. 2. 3. scalene triangle
scalene triangle
equilateral angle triangle has no
triangle has no pair of
all three sides are pair of congruent
congruent sides
congruent sides

4. 5. 6.
isosceles triangle
equilateral triangle
two sides are congruent isosceles triangle
all three sides are
two sides are congruent
congruent
7. ALGEBRA Find x and the length of each side if 8. ALGEBRA Find y and the length of each side if
△RST is an equilateral triangle. △ABC is isosceles with AB = BC.

2x+2+3x 4T=3y+2
-2x -2x -3y -3y
2x y=2

ANSWER:
rs=2(2)+2=6
ANSWER:
st=3(2)=6
Chapter 4 6 AB=4(2)=8 Glencoe Geometry
rt=5(2)-4=6
BC=3(2)+2=8
AC=3(2)=6