Parts of a Triangle Practice Problems & Worksheets

Master triangle terminology with interactive practice on heights, medians, angle bisectors, and perpendicular bisectors. Build geometry skills step-by-step.

📚What You'll Master in Triangle Parts Practice
  • Identify and draw triangle heights from vertices to opposite sides
  • Locate medians that divide triangle sides into equal segments
  • Construct angle bisectors that create equal angles at vertices
  • Draw perpendicular bisectors from midpoints of triangle sides
  • Find midsegments connecting midpoints of two triangle sides
  • Distinguish between different types of triangle lines and their properties

Understanding Parts of a Triangle

Complete explanation with examples

Terms used in triangle calculations

  • Line

A line is a general term for straight lines (hence its name) that extend from a specific point on the triangle.

  • Height

Height is a line that extends from a specific vertex and reaches perpendicularly to the opposite side, creating a right angle. The height is marked with the letter h (from the word height).

  • Median

The median is also a line extending from a specific vertex to the opposite side, but it reaches exactly the middle of the opposite side and divides it into two equal parts.

  • Angle Bisector

An angle bisector is a line that extends from a specific vertex and actually divides the vertex into two equal angles.

  • Perpendicular Bisector

A perpendicular bisector is a line that extends from the middle of a side perpendicular to it.

  • Midsegment

A midsegment is a line that connects the midpoints of two sides and is parallel to the third side, with its length being half of it.

  • Opposite Side

An opposite side is the side that is located opposite to a specific vertex and does not pass through it.

Diagram of a triangle ABC illustrating key geometric concepts: height (H) in green, median in blue, angle bisector in red, perpendicular bisector from CB in orange, midsegment in purple, and the side opposite to vertex A highlighted in orange. Labels are color-coded for clarity.

Detailed explanation

Practice Parts of a Triangle

Test your knowledge with 36 quizzes

Is the straight line in the figure the height of the triangle?

Examples with solutions for Parts of a Triangle

Step-by-step solutions included
Exercise #1

Determine the type of angle given.

Step-by-Step Solution

To solve this problem, we'll examine the image presented for the angle type:

  • Step 1: Identify the angle based on the visual input provided in the graphical representation.
  • Step 2: Classify it using the standard angle types: acute, obtuse, or straight based on their definitions.
  • Step 3: Select the appropriate choice based on this classification.

Now, let's apply these steps:

Step 1: Analyzing the provided diagram, observe that there is an angle formed among the segments.

Step 2: The angle is depicted with a measure that appears greater than a right angle (greater than 9090^\circ). It is wider than an acute angle.

Step 3: Given the definition of an obtuse angle (greater than 9090^\circ but less than 180180^\circ), the graphic clearly shows an obtuse angle.

Therefore, the solution to the problem is Obtuse.

Answer:

Obtuse

Video Solution
Exercise #2

Given the following triangle:

Write down the height of the triangle ABC.

AAABBBCCCDDD

Step-by-Step Solution

To resolve this problem, let's focus on recognizing the elements of the triangle given in the diagram:

  • Step 1: Identify that ABC \triangle ABC is a right-angled triangle on the horizontal line BC, with a perpendicular dropped from vertex A A (top of the triangle) to point D D on BC BC , creating two right angles ADB \angle ADB and ADC \angle ADC .
  • Step 2: The height corresponds to the perpendicular segment from the opposite vertex to the base.
  • Step 3: Recognize segment BD BD as described in the choices, fitting the perpendicular from A to BC in this context correctly.

Thus, the height of triangle ABC \triangle ABC is effectively identified as segment BD BD .

Answer:

BD

Video Solution
Exercise #3

Given the following triangle:

Write down the height of the triangle ABC.

AAABBBCCCDDD

Step-by-Step Solution

To determine the height of triangle ABC \triangle ABC , we need to identify the line segment that extends from a vertex and meets the opposite side at a right angle.

Given the diagram of the triangle, we consider the base AC AC and need to find the line segment from vertex B B to this base.

From the diagram, segment BD BD is drawn from B B and intersects the line AC AC (or its extension) perpendicularly. Therefore, it represents the height of the triangle ABC \triangle ABC .

Thus, the height of ABC \triangle ABC is segment BD BD .

Answer:

BD

Video Solution
Exercise #4

Given the following triangle:

Write down the height of the triangle ABC.

AAABBBCCCEEEDDD

Step-by-Step Solution

An altitude in a triangle is the segment that connects the vertex and the opposite side, in such a way that the segment forms a 90-degree angle with the side.

If we look at the image it is clear that the above theorem is true for the line AE. AE not only connects the A vertex with the opposite side. It also crosses BC forming a 90-degree angle. Undoubtedly making AE the altitude.

Answer:

AE

Video Solution
Exercise #5

Given the following triangle:

Write down the height of the triangle ABC.

AAABBBCCCDDD

Step-by-Step Solution

To solve this problem, we need to identify the height of triangle ABC from the diagram. The height of a triangle is defined as the perpendicular line segment from a vertex to the opposite side, or to the line containing the opposite side.

In the given diagram:

  • A A is the vertex from which the height is drawn.
  • The base BC BC is a horizontal line lying on the same level.
  • AD AD is the line segment originating from point A A and is perpendicular to BC BC .

The perpendicularity of AD AD to BC BC is illustrated by the right angle symbol at point D D . This establishes AD AD as the height of the triangle ABC.

Considering the options provided, the line segment that represents the height of the triangle ABC is indeed AD AD .

Therefore, the correct choice is: AD AD .

Answer:

AD

Video Solution

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a height and a median in a triangle?

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A height (altitude) is a line from a vertex perpendicular to the opposite side, forming a 90° angle. A median is a line from a vertex to the midpoint of the opposite side, dividing that side into two equal parts. The height focuses on perpendicularity, while the median focuses on bisecting the opposite side.

How do you identify the opposite side of a triangle vertex?

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The opposite side is the side that doesn't touch the vertex you're looking at. For example, in triangle ABC, the opposite side to vertex A is side BC. The opposite side is always across from the vertex, never connected to it.

What makes an angle bisector different from other triangle lines?

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An angle bisector divides an angle at a vertex into two equal smaller angles. Unlike heights or medians that go to the opposite side, angle bisectors focus on splitting the angle itself. If angle A is 60°, its angle bisector creates two 30° angles.

How long is a midsegment compared to the third side of a triangle?

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A midsegment is always exactly half the length of the third side (the side it's parallel to). This is the Triangle Midsegment Theorem. For example, if the third side is 10 units long, the midsegment will be 5 units long.

Where does a perpendicular bisector start in a triangle?

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A perpendicular bisector starts from the midpoint of any triangle side and extends perpendicular (at 90°) to that side. It doesn't originate from a vertex like heights, medians, or angle bisectors do. Instead, it bisects the side itself.

Can a triangle have multiple heights, medians, and angle bisectors?

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Yes! Every triangle has exactly three of each: three heights (one from each vertex), three medians (one from each vertex), and three angle bisectors (one for each angle). Each serves a different geometric purpose in triangle analysis.

What tools do I need to draw triangle parts accurately?

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You'll need: 1) A ruler for measuring and drawing straight lines, 2) A protractor for measuring angles and creating perpendicular lines, 3) A compass for finding midpoints and creating equal segments. These tools help ensure your triangle constructions are precise.

Why are triangle parts important in geometry problems?

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Triangle parts help solve area calculations, prove congruence, find missing measurements, and understand triangle properties. Heights are used in area formulas, medians help locate centroids, and angle bisectors are crucial for angle relationships and triangle similarity problems.

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