Theorems and Postulates for Geometry

Geometry Index | Regents Exam Prep Center

This is a partial listing of the more popular theorems, postulates and properties
needed when working with Euclidean proofs. You need to have a thorough
understanding of these items.
Your textbook (and your teacher) may want you to remember
these theorems with slightly different wording.
Be sure to follow the directions from your teacher.

The "I need to know, now!" entries are highlighted in blue.

General:
Reflexive Property

A quantity is congruent (equal) to itself. a = a

Symmetric Property

If a = b, then b = a.

Transitive Property

If a = b and b = c, then a = c.

Addition Postulate

If equal quantities are added to equal quantities, the sums are

equal.

Subtraction Postulate

If equal quantities are subtracted from equal quantities, the

differences are equal.

Multiplication Postulate

If equal quantities are multiplied by equal quantities, the

products are equal. (also Doubles of equal quantities are
equal.)

Division Postulate

If equal quantities are divided by equal nonzero quantities, the

quotients are equal. (also Halves of equal quantities are equal.)

Substitution Postulate

A quantity may be substituted for its equal in any expression.

Partition Postulate

The whole is equal to the sum of its parts.

Also: Betweeness of Points: AB + BC = AC
Angle Addition Postulate: m<ABC + m<CBD = m<ABD

Construction
Construction

Two points determine a straight line.

From a given point on (or not on) a line, one and only one
perpendicular can be drawn to the line.

Angles:
Right Angles
Straight Angles

All right angles are congruent.

All straight angles are congruent.

Supplements of the same angle, or congruent angles, are

congruent.
Complements of the same angle, or congruent angles, are
Congruent Complements congruent.
If two angles form a linear pair, they are supplementary.

Congruent Supplements

Linear Pair

Vertical Angles
Triangle Sum
Exterior Angle
Base Angle Theorem
(Isosceles Triangle)

Base Angle Converse

(Isosceles Triangle)

Vertical angles are congruent.

The sum of the interior angles of a triangle is 180.
The measure of an exterior angle of a triangle is equal to the
sum of the measures of the two non-adjacent interior angles.
The measure of an exterior angle of a triangle is greater than
either non-adjacent interior angle.
If two sides of a triangle are congruent, the angles opposite
these sides are congruent.
If two angles of a triangle are congruent, the sides opposite
these angles are congruent.

Triangles:
Side-Side-Side (SSS)
Congruence

If three sides of one triangle are congruent to three sides of

another triangle, then the triangles are congruent.

If two sides and the included angle of one triangle are

congruent to the corresponding parts of another triangle, the
triangles are congruent.
Angle-Side-Angle (ASA) If two angles and the included side of one triangle are

Side-Angle-Side (SAS)
Congruence

congruent to the corresponding parts of another triangle, the

triangles are congruent.
Angle-Angle-Side (AAS) If two angles and the non-included side of one triangle are
congruent to the corresponding parts of another triangle, the
Congruence
triangles are congruent.
If the hypotenuse and leg of one right triangle are congruent to
Hypotenuse-Leg (HL)
the corresponding parts of another right triangle, the two right
Congruence (right
triangles are congruent.
triangle)

Congruence

CPCTC
Angle-Angle (AA)
Similarity
SSS for Similarity
SAS for Similarity
Side Proportionality
Mid-segment Theorem
(also called mid-line)

Sum of Two Sides

Longest Side
Altitude Rule
Leg Rule

Corresponding parts of congruent triangles are congruent.

If two angles of one triangle are congruent to two angles of
another triangle, the triangles are similar.
If the three sets of corresponding sides of two triangles are in
proportion, the triangles are similar.
If an angle of one triangle is congruent to the corresponding
angle of another triangle and the lengths of the sides including
these angles are in proportion, the triangles are similar.
If two triangles are similar, the corresponding sides are in
proportion.
The segment connecting the midpoints of two sides of a
triangle isparallel to the third side and is half as long.
The sum of the lengths of any two sides of a triangle must be
greater than the third side
In a triangle, the longest side is across from the largest angle.
In a triangle, the largest angle is across from the longest side.
The altitude to the hypotenuse of a right triangle is the mean
proportional between the segments into which it divides the
hypotenuse.
Each leg of a right triangle is the mean proportional between
the hypotenuse and the projection of the leg on the
hypotenuse.

Parallels:
Corresponding Angles

If two parallel lines are cut by a transversal, then the pairs of

corresponding angles are congruent.

Corresponding Angles
If two lines are cut by a transversal and the corresponding
angles are congruent, the lines are parallel.
Converse
Alternate Interior Angles If two parallel lines are cut by a transversal, then the alternate
interior angles are congruent.

If two parallel lines are cut by a transversal, then the alternate

Alternate Exterior Angles exterior angles are congruent.

Interiors on Same Side

If two parallel lines are cut by a transversal, the interior angles

on the same side of the transversal are supplementary.

Alternate Interior Angles

Converse
Alternate Exterior Angles
Converse

If two lines are cut by a transversal and the alternate interior

angles are congruent, the lines are parallel.

Interiors on Same Side

Converse

If two lines are cut by a transversal and the interior angles on

the same side of the transversal are supplementary, the lines
areparallel.

If two lines are cut by a transversal and the alternate exterior

angles are congruent, the lines are parallel.

Quadrilaterals:
* If a quadrilateral is a parallelogram, the

Parallelograms

opposite
sides are parallel.
About Sides
* If a quadrilateral is a parallelogram, the
opposite
sides are congruent.

* If a quadrilateral is a parallelogram, the

About
Angles

opposite
angles are congruent.
* If a quadrilateral is a parallelogram, the
consecutive angles are supplementary.

* If a quadrilateral is a parallelogram, the

diagonals
About
bisect each other.
Diagonals * If a quadrilateral is a parallelogram, the
diagonals
form two congruent triangles.

Parallelogram Converses

* If both pairs of opposite sides of a

quadrilateral
are parallel, the quadrilateral is a
parallelogram.
About Sides * If both pairs of opposite sides of a
quadrilateral
are congruent, the quadrilateral is a
parallelogram.
About
* If both pairs of opposite angles of a
Angles quadrilateral

are congruent, the quadrilateral is a

parallelogram.
* If the consecutive angles of a quadrilateral are
supplementary, the quadrilateral is a
parallelogram.
About
Diagonals

Parallelogram
Rectangle

Rhombus

Square
Trapezoid

Isosceles Trapezoid

Circles:

* If the diagonals of a quadrilateral bisect each

other, the quadrilateral is a

parallelogram.
* If the diagonals of a quadrilateral form two
congruent triangles, the quadrilateral is a
parallelogram.
If one pair of sides of a quadrilateral is BOTH parallel and
congruent, the quadrilateral is a parallelogram.
If a parallelogram has one right angle it is a rectangle
A parallelogram is a rectangle if and only if its diagonals are
congruent.
A rectangle is a parallelogram with four right angles.
A rhombus is a parallelogram with four congruent sides.
If a parallelogram has two consecutive sides congruent, it is a
rhombus.
A parallelogram is a rhombus if and only if each diagonal
bisects a pair of opposite angles.
A parallelogram is a rhombus if and only if the diagonals are
perpendicular.
A square is a parallelogram with four congruent sides and four
right angles.
A quadrilateral is a square if and only if it is a rhombus and a
rectangle.
A trapezoid is a quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel
sides.
An isosceles trapezoid is a trapezoid with congruent legs.
A trapezoid is isosceles if and only if the base angles are
congruent
A trapezoid is isosceles if and only if the diagonals are
congruent
If a trapezoid is isosceles, the opposite angles are
supplementary.

Radius

In a circle, a radius perpendicular to a chord bisects the chord

and the arc.
In a circle, a radius that bisects a chord is perpendicular to the
chord.
In a circle, the perpendicular bisector of a chord passes
through the center of the circle.
If a line is tangent to a circle, it is perpendicular to the radius
drawn to the point of tangency.
In a circle, or congruent circles, congruent chords are
equidistant from the center. (and converse)

Chords

Tangents
Arcs

In a circle, or congruent circles, congruent chords have

congruent arcs. (and converse0
In a circle, parallel chords intercept congruent arcs
In the same circle, or congruent circles, congruent central
angles have congruent chords (and converse)
Tangent segments to a circle from the same external point are
congruent
In the same circle, or congruent circles, congruent central
angles have congruent arcs. (and converse)
An angle inscribed in a semi-circle is a right angle.
In a circle, inscribed angles that intercept the same arc are
congruent.

Angles
The opposite angles in a cyclic quadrilateral are
supplementary
In a circle, or congruent circles, congruent central angles have
congruent arcs.

Vocabulary Resource
Topic Index | Geometry Index | Regents Exam Prep Center

This is a partial listing of basic FORMAL definitions needed when working with
Euclidean geometry and proofs.
You need to have a thorough understanding of these terms.

An acute angle is an angle whose measure is greater than 0

and less than 90.
acute angle

An acute triangle is a triangle that has three acute angles.

acute triangle

Adjacent angles share a common vertex, a common side and

no common interior points (they do not overlap).
<1 and <2 are adjacent
<1 and <ABC are not adjacent
The altitude of a triangle is a line segment extending from
any vertex of a triangle perpendicular to the line containing
the opposite side.
Altitude for an obtuse triangle.

An angle bisector is a ray whose endpoint is the vertex of the

angle and which divides the angle into two congruent angles.

Bisector of a line segment is any line (or subset of a line)

that intersects the segment at its midpoint.

Complementary angles are two angles the sum of whose

measures is 90. (Complementary angles need not be
adjacent angles.)
<1 and <2 are complementary

Congruent angles are angles of the same measure.

congruent angles
Congruent segments are segments of the same length
(measure).

Congruent triangles are triangles whose corresponding

angles and sides are congruent. (They are exactly the same
size and shape.)
congruent triangles

An equiangular triangle is a triangle which has three

congruent angles.
equiangular triangle

An equilateral triangle is a triangle with three congruent

sides.
equilateral triangle

An isosceles triangle is a triangle with two congruent sides.

isosceles triangle

A linear pair of angles are adjacent angles whose noncommon sides are opposite rays (form a straight line). The
sum of the measures of the angles in a linear pair is 180.
Unlike supplementary angles, a linear pair MUST be two
adjacent angles.
linear pair

The median of a triangle is a line segment extending from

any vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side.

Midpoint of a line segment is the point on that line segment

that divides the segment two congruent segments.

The perpendicular bisector of a segment is a line (or subset

of a line) that bisects the segment and is perpendicular to the
segment.

An obtuse angle is an angle whose measure is greater than

90 and less than 180.
obtuse angle

An obtuse triangle is a triangle which contains one obtuse

angle.
obtuse triangle

Perpendicular lines are two lines which intersect to form

right angles.

A right angle is an angle whose measure is 90.

right angle

A right triangle is a triangle containing one right angle.

right triangle
A scalene triangle is a triangle with no congruent sides.

scalene triangle

A straight angle is an angle whose measure is 180.

straight angle

Supplementary angles are two angles the sum of whose

measures is 180. (Supplementary angles need not be
adjacent.)
<1 and <2 are supplementary

Vertical angles are two nonadjacent angles formed by two

intersecting lines.
<1 and <3 are vertical angles
<2 and <4 are vertical angles